Father’s Day Memories June 8, 2000 – Posted in: Press

Guest Author: TOBINA KAHN
Published: June 8, 2000
Skyline News

A vice president of House of Kahn Estate Jewelers, I often encounter men and women seeking to sell jeweled heirlooms. While there are many reasons to part with such valuable items, none is as worthwhile as that of a woman I recently had the good fortune to meet. Soft-spoken but articulate, this special woman is truly genuine and appreciative of life.

When she was very young, her mother passed away. This left her father, a doctor, to raise her and the two grew to be very close. Although he worked long hours at the local community hospital, he worked equally hard to be an attentive parent. He made a point of attending her dance recitals and school plays; he tried to arrange his schedule so that he could have dinner with her every night; he helped her with her homework. If he had to work late certain evenings, he would sometimes allow her to accompany him on his rounds. It was during this time spent with him at the hospital, watching him administer to the needs of both the rich and the poor, that she decided to pursue a career in medicine.

Sadly, her father died last year at age 76. He had encouraged her desire to become a doctor, but he died on the verge of realizing her dream. When I met her, she had on acceptance to medical school and was waiting to hear from several others. She already had plans to return to her community work and work in the neighborhood, if not the hospital where her father practiced. The only question remaining was how to fun her education.

Among her personal belongings left to her by her father, she was surprised to discover an exquisite diamond and sapphire necklace wit matching brooch and bracelet. It had been a gift from her father to her mother many years ago but sat untouched in a safety deposit box for more than 30 years. The jewels had been all but forgotten and she admits to having not known of them until her father’s death. Although the rediscovered jewels had significant sentimental value, they also were the financial godsend she had been looking for to supplement her tuition. When I told her the value of the pieces, she was ecstatic.

As an adult, she now realizes how difficult it was for her father both to raise her singlehandedly and provide for her financially. Because the day we met in my office to finalize the sale was so close to Father’s Day, she could not help but lovingly enumerate her father’s virtues and kindness. Watching her leave my office, I could not help noting how refreshing this kind of woman is. I know her father would be proud of the woman he raised her to be, and is smiling down from heaven.