This is the piece of glass that was dedicated to Joyce by the Czech artist IVANA HOUSEROVA. It’s titled “Angel”
Dear Family and Friends,
9/12/2007 Joyce Shanock Simon
Today is the eighth anniversary of 9/11, the tragedy that took place eight years ago when terrorists flew into the Twin Towers in NYC and the Pentagon in DC. I recall that Joyce and I were seated at the breakfast table in the kitchen in Great Neck when Robert called and asked where we were. I remember I didn’t quite understand what he meant and answered stupidly, “I’m right here, what do you mean?” Then Robert told us to turn on the TV and in horror we watched that day’s events unfold.
No one who lived through that day will ever forget 9/11. So when Joyce died on 9/12/07, the two dates are linked together forever in my mind. Today we have public sorrow and memorials for the victims of 9/11. Tomorrow on 9/12, those of us who knew Joyce share a private grief and personal memories.
I think that I need to give voice to some of my memories of Joyce Shanock Simon, my wife, your mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and friend. Earlier today, I was looking at an undated note that Joyce had made on a pad from The Ritz Hotel in London. Here are her words verbatim, “And So it is/ Just like you/Said it would be.” So I googled the phrase and here’s what I found, the first stanza of the lyrics to a song:
And so it is
Just like you said it would be
Life goes easy on me
Most of the time
And so it is
The shorter story
No love, no glory
No hero in her skies
I wonder if Joyce was listening to that song when she wrote that note. No matter, but the fact Joyce might have jotted down the title of a song that she just heard makes complete sense to me. The fact is that Joyce jotted down book titles, song lyrics, poetry excerpts, birthdays, politics, travel destinations, artist’s names, and hosts of other things to remind her of the things she liked and loved in this world. Joyce had a huge appetite for life. It seems impossible that she is no longer with us and sharing, no explicitly STATING, her opinions on politics, authors she loved, glass art, travel, her children and grandchildren, the Knicks, tennis and in particular Bjorn Borg, Gustave Mahler, The Beatles, and anything else that she was passionate about (read that to mean everything in her life).
Sometime tomorrow, please take a moment or two to talk about Joyce with your spouse, with your kids, with any of her friends, and share some of your memories.
With loving memories of Joyce,
Seymour
