A Heartfelt Message from Kootz

We have a beautiful bouquet of 10 grandchildren: seven boys and three girls. The first to fill our bouquet of babies was a girl. My husband called her Kootz. Kootz wrote this to her Zaidie. My husband, Kootz’s Zaidie, died of Alzheimer’s.

I.  I think I’ve told you this before
But have I ever told you about how
Coney Island got its name?
No, tell me
Well, my friend told me this. When the Dutch got to New York, the island was covered with ducks
And they called them “coneys”
And they called it Coney Island

II. When the Dutch got to Coney Island—I know I told you this before
Mmm
there were a lot of—ducks or rabbits
Uh huh
I can’t remember— it was ducks or rabbits— and they were coneys and that’s why it’s called Coney Island

III. Let me tell you,
Let me just tell you
when I grew up in Brooklyn, my school was across from the— from the Jewish mafia— there were bullet holes in the building

IV. When I lived in Brooklyn
Please not again
There.. my mother, she was a smart lady
I know this already
Very brilliant lady, but she wasn’t able to… she was a very brilliant lady
You don’t know my family. You never see my family
I see them every year
You see savta’s family but you don’t know my family, but
When I lived in Brooklyn

V. Oh, I knew Rabbi Hershey when we lived in Brooklyn
He’s 40 years younger than you

VI. Did I tell you the horror story?
he means at the dog park, when a dog jumped over the fence and ran across the street 
Gut yuntiff 

VII. Can we go to the dog park?
tomorrow
When are we doing to the dog park?
I’m coming tomorrow morning to take you to the dog park 
Who is taking me to the dog park?
I am coming to take you to the dog park 

VIII. where are you going?
I’m just going to work
no, you need to stay here! Sit here, dad
I’m going home I need to go home
this is your home, let me help you sit down. You’re home

IX. I want to go home
okay, tomorrow morning I’ll come take you to the dog park 

X. hi, zaidie!
Hi cutie
What would I give for him to tell me about Coney Island again?

XI. And these people, if they don’t have enough information and info to do these things, then you see it
yes?
And every so often you may see something on the last … and all these other things …
Oh
So they go right on down. Right on down

XII. what are you looking for?
My… n-n-na
your glasses?
Yeah
here they are
And the b … brotans … bratansi … I’m crazy
no it’s okay

XII. It has been years since he called me kootz, but my drawing of Olivia from The Great Mouse Detective is still taped up on his filing cabinet. I can’t find my computer games I played on his computer, in his office chair, but it smells the same. How can you mourn someone who is sitting downstairs?

XIII. I love you. Gut Shabbos