Fwd: Thoughts from Your Father

Stuart Don Levy

Begin forwarded message:

From: Stuart levy <bigstu52@gmail.com>
Date: June 22, 2011 7:01:40 AM EDT
To: Danielle Levy <danimlevy@gmail.com>
Subject: Thoughts from Your Father

We were in Delaware, eating Mexican Food with our friends the Peirsons when the phone rang from Arden Court informing me that Dad got overheated and became unresponsive.  He has a habit of sitting out in the courtyard, in the heat for long periods of time unsupervised.  They were able to revive him with water.  Mom and I cut short our vacation and left the next day for home.  When we got home we found him standing up in his room in his pajamas, facing the door.  He smiled when he saw us and immediately gave your Mom a big hug.  He asked for some toothpaste and while we waited for the aide to get it for him we joked with him and got a few smiles.  This is the first time Dad has smiled or looked us in the eye in about two months.
I took a picture of Dad hugging Sandy and emailed it to Janice.  Then we let him speak to Janice on the phone.  Mom was crying.

Mom told me that Mr Farbstein liked the photos that I had framed.  At first I thought that he liked the sunset in Costa Rica and then she gave me her weird, critical look and reminded me of the doctor/lawyer/teacher/mentor combo.  I am glad you put that in your office.  The sunset photo might be useful to help you calm down when your reactions, nerves, and emotions are overwhelming.

I am going to get our mail that was held in the post office and look carefully for anything sent to you from the Florida Bar.  I will let you know what find or not find.  In any case it might make sense for you to get a Post Office Box to receive your mail until your residence issues solidify.

I know that it must be so frustrating to hear about your classmates being sworn in while your license remains in limbo.  I am glad that you sent the certified letter to the Florida Bar.  If you can't get a satisfactory response it might be wise to collect all your correspondence with them (including the letter written to them from Dr. Gottleib) and consult with an attorney (not Farbstein) on the best strategy to get you over the hump.

I am sad that you are having issues with Steve.  We are grateful that he was able to  help you transition out of your difficult situation in Chicago,  but according to what I hear from Mom, things are almost continuously strained.  It sounds like you need some space to sort things out, not leases and promises that force you together.  Take advantage of your geographical proximity to Amanda and Josh.  If and when they move out of the area you will wish that you had spent more time with them.  They are family and a source of love and stability when other parts of your life get unsettled.

Similarly, Mr Farbstein is helping you transition into private practice.  Think objectively about what you are getting from the relationship... money, experience, exposure in your field.  Try to deflect his quirky statements and behaviors; then redouble your efforts to secure your credentials so that you can look forward to applying your talents in a setting that better suits you.



Love,

Dad