Posted by Nolan Apostle
A family. Siblings. A unique group of individuals who came into my life through my dear friend Helen Dobrow.
Let me introduce them to you….
A Dobrow Tradition – The Sibling’s Famous Pose
Everyone, here’s the Dobrows, the Dobrows, here’s Everyone!
They are truly a wonderful family who have shared with me their life, their love and have allowed me to be part of their family. The bond I saw in them as siblings was truly amazing. I longed for it within my own family, but how could I achieve that same imminence when I had a couple of brothers, but we barely knew each other and they were much older than myself. The family Dobrow, each in their own way, gave to me so much more than I could ever give back to them.
As close as they were growing up, they were also so very distant and extremely different. Unique in their own way, demanding their individuality they were always ready to fight for that right! And fight they did, but they always seem to come around and work things out. That is family. That is what Dobrows are all about.
There is an important note I need to make about the above photo. First, the distinguished gentleman to the far left is none other that the siblings step-father Arthur. He has been there for them through thick and thin, and loved their dear Mother greatly (Mimi passed 4 years ago). Two of the siblings are missing from the picture, Rachel, who died of cancer in 2006 and Bonny who could not make it to the Wedding of Brother David and Charlene (David is the middle gentleman who’s having a bad hair day).
Any of you that have shared time with them, broken bread with them, been to excursions, adventures (just hanging out with them is totally an adventure), on trips, and yes, even burying their family members know the true meaning of friendship if you know a Dobrow.
I’ll never forget the words and sincerity coming from Steven, when I was leaving the cemetery in Colma, California the afternoon of his mother’s funeral. He hugged me tight, which in itself was a rare occasion; he looked me right in the eye and said, “Thank you for helping me bury my mother”. Nobody has ever said that to me before or since. I’ll never forget it.
Unfortunately we must say good-bye to another member of the Dobrow family. Helen (she’s the one in the middle in the below photograph). I don’t want to say good-bye, but we must. We can no longer call her on the phone just to say “Hi”, or show up at her door to surprise her. We can’t send her an email and hope for a reply, or ask her if she’d like to go see a movie tonight. She has left us, they say, for a better place; now there’s a part of me that believes in that, but my God, why so soon, so young, always so full of life, even when she was hurting inside she was still full of life! Sometimes this world we have been given just makes no sense, no sense at all.
Helen with her two lovely nieces, Rebecca and Michelle
The photos here are just a sample of what you will see in the coming months. To see more photos of Helen and the Dobrow family please click on any of the images or this link and you will be sent to my Flickr page of photos. The photographs you will see here or on Flickr have been taken by either myself or my son Johnny (Photographer in Training).
Helen hanging out with Johnny at David & Charlene’s Wedding
This is an open blog. You are invited to participate and share your thoughts, feelings and special moments (including photos too) you had with Helen. Please sign in and write anything you feel and do tell some stories about Helen, I love stories.
I hope, over time, this can become a monument to one of the greatest people who ever live on our planet, and someone who truly thought of others first and gave her all in whatever she did.
If you knew Helen you were blessed by her kindness, her generosity and her love. I will miss her something awful, as I’m sure many of you will too. But it doesn’t mean we will forget her.
Helen, wherever you may be, keep an eye out for the children who you loved so much, keep your smile as bright as always, and don’t forget to leave the light on for those of us who might one day be lucky enough to see you again. God Bless Helen and all her family.
Nolan Apostle
January 27, 2008 at 2:40 pm eHello, I am so sorry for your loss. Helen was a wonderful women and a pure soul.
She will be missed by many. We should all appreciate her in our memories and in
our hearts for who she was and allowed us to be. (A recent comment)