You Are What You Love

In addition to receiving birthday cards, on this birthday, one of our bloggers, Dr Moffic, decided to send out a card to all those he loved. It is being reprinted here.

1. I Am The Greatest!

If you are what you love,
There is no longer reason to be most modest,
so step aside Muhammad Ali,
for I Am The Greatest!

I Am The Greatest because I love RUSTI to infinity
For she is sunshine to the earth,
Radiating warmth to everyone she sees,
but especially to my life and me.

I Am The Greatest because I love my children,
For Stacia is sweetness of the soul,
While Evan is a source to heaven,
and both are the most loving parents and spouses in love.

I Am The Greatest because I love my children’s spouses,
For Bill is our family’s business and handyman,
While Ari is the Jewish educator of excellence,
and both are the most loving parents and spouses in love.

I Am The Greatest because I love my grandchildren,
For Noah is a prodigy of psychiatric empathy,
While Mira is a blooming Rustini beauty,
and both hug each other with much love.

I Am The Greatest because I love my grandchildren,
For Hannah’s lefty brain that never forgets,
While Tamir is a baby musical Beatle,
and both hug each other with much love.

I Am The Greatest because I loved my parents
Who maintained unconditional love,
Even when I was not yet the greatest
and created a fair amount of trouble.

I Am The Greatest because I am like my mother Misha,
She who willed herself to live
In order to see her grandkids
and inspired me to be a M.D.

I Am The Greatest because I have loved sports
That were connected to Sam I Am,
And helped keep me in shape;
Da Bears, Bulls, White Sox, but the Cubs I hate!

I Am The Greatest because I love my sister Jo-Jo,
Who would throw herself in front of a car for me,
And for her family of Gregg, Ari, Jesse, and Hayley,
Who are devoted to Judaism and helping those in need.

I Am The Greatest because I love a best friend Barry,
From back when we were children
A constant source of creative community
and a wife Debby devoted to him and keeping us healthy.

I Am The Greatest because I have loved so many more,
Ancestors, relatives, friends, and teachers galore;
By George, Biblical Joseph, Tam, Harriet, Randy, David, Harvey, Peter, Miriam, Laura, Barby,
Frankly: grandparents, aunts, in-laws, editors, the Herbs, Rons, Dans, and Steves..

I Am The Greatest because I have loved even more;
Some lasted long while others were kicked out the door;
Some are living, some now dead,
but who slipped through my Freudian mind?

I Am The Greatest because I loved to see
Nixon in China and India’s diversity,
Way out in the Outback to the stage of Cirque du Soleil;
Oh, Canada and Mexico Ol!

I Am The Greatest because I experience A Love Supreme
Sounded in the inner space of John Coltrane
Out into the outer spaces of Sun Ra,
Circling the Rings Wagner’s way.

I Am The Greatest because Rusti taught me to see
The world’s greatest art from the Mona Lisa to Dali;
And theatre from her Anything Goes
To Shakespeare, Shaw, and the epic Tantalus.

2. “Our” Birthday

I asked Rusti when I was sixty four,
Would I still be needed and fed?
But now I realize as I turn sixty five
I Am The Greatest so I will be feted!

Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to the Greatest,
Happy Birthday to all of you!

Hey-Hey!