My heart is with you both.

Would love to chat with either of you, if you wish…if not, just let this quick note let you know that I will be thinking of you tomorrow - and how I cant believe that an entire year has gone by -

Remy Gervais
GervaisGroup@netscape.net

I was searching for you and came across this web site. Leah and Eryn told me that you lost your son. And I felt so sad. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be in your shoes. After looking through this web site, I get a sense of who Andrei was. I’m so sorry. He was lucky to have you as his mother, as you are lucky to have been blessed and enriched by him. I would love to see you while I’m in Los Angeles from October 25-29. Let me know if you are available so that I can give you a big hug.

Much love,
Reena.

when andrei was about that age, maybe a little younger, he spent a lot of time grooving, as children do, on the miracle of ordinariness. he was fascinated by the sound of planes. marcelle and jerry’s home was under the flight path to sf airport and dreidl liked hearing planes go over. this was the period at which stefan was intrigued by numbers, letters, sesame street and electric company and every time the radio came on, said ‘kay coo ee dee’ for kqed. shortly after that he, stefan, began naming cars. he was very keen on renault for some reason, if i remember correctly.

at that time, dreidl couldn’t distinguish the word ‘plane’ from the word ‘fern.’ we would be sitting on the couch and he would point upward and i would think he was pointing at the fern and would say ‘fern.’ he would laugh, just as he’s laughing in the photograph that i *know* was taken by jerry and developed in his darkroom. he would continue to point and i would say ‘fern’. then i would realize there was a noise overhead and would ask ‘plane?’ and he would laugh and point and it really made no difference. he was simply overjoyed by his ability to communicate his delight in the wonder of sounds and connections.

in those moments, as in this present moment, such joy. kissing the joy as it flies, i smile and i am grateful.

ellie/alice

Since the first time I read your sharing in the card you sent me, I still get deep, deep shivers throughout my body whenever I am with your experience of Andrei and the lights coming on. My mind, heart and soul are engaged. So many metaphors! So much that Andrei envisioned along with you and Ardeshir for your medical center! Now that he is physically gone, I can’t help but think that he is relying on all of us to be activists in the area of prescription medications and the abuse thereof.

Thank you SO much for sharing your experience with the world. And thank you for all your patients and the entire field of medicine for the values you live in your practice.

with much love, appreciation and gratitude,
Marcelle

you brought a big smile to my face with your memories of Andrei’s “signature smile”. I am aware that you had been in communication just weeks before he died and I am glad for it. I know that he was looking forward to further developing some professional connection with you as he shared both vision and values with you.

with much love,
Marcelle

love you,
Marcelle

I cried again, as I did the time when you first sent me the letter. I am so moved by your sharing, Remy - by your sharing of yourself as much as you do Andrei. You called that “selfish”, yet you remind me of the statement I heard a long, long time ago “I love you not only for what you are but for who I am when I am with you”.

Again and again, I find in your words the bright light that Andrei was throughout his life. Thank you for capturing his essence and, above all, for allowing yourself to be impacted by who he was and what his life was about.

with much love,
Marcelle

Thank you for sharing this. I believe the feeling was mutual…you were one of Andrei’s favorite people as well.
~Melissa