Blogs are for grieving too

Hollywood screenwriter Robert J. Avrech (Body Double, The Devil's Arithmetic) has started a publishing company, Seraphic Press, to encourage novels written for religiously observant Jewish children. The project is in memory of his late son Ariel, who died last year of pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 22, while awaiting a lung transplant. Avrech is also blogging about Ariel; he calls his latest entry at Seraphic Secret "Crying on the 405."

Ever since Ariel died, I find myself crying in the most unexpected of places. I remember the last year of Ariel's life. I drove him to pulmonary therapy three times a week. I drove him to his medical appointments twice a week. If he was strong enough, I would drive him to shul or to a Torah class. Sometimes we would listen to Jewish music--The Miami's Boys Choir, Shalsheles, Mordechai Ben Divid--and Ariel would tap his hand against his thigh. I remember at one point thinking that Ariel might not make it and the song I'm listening to will always be associated with that unbearable thought. And now, in the car, I don't have to put the music on. I hear it in my head. I see Ariel out of the corner of my eye. And I drive on the 405 with tears pouring down my face.

Email pointer from Luke Ford.