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Amir,
It is hard to believe that you left us one year ago today. This date, March 25, however, does not hold much significance with me. This is not only because we hold the Jewish date of your yahrzeit, or because I didn’t find out what happened to you until the next day, March 26, 2004. It is because I think about you every day, and you continue to have an impact on my daily life. You continue to help me through tough situations, because I can imagine what you would say to make them seem better. I think a lot of your friends and family do the same! I am posting this to your website, where those who loved you and admired you continue to share thoughts and stories about you, all of them describing your unique views on life and your sincere interest in other people. I can only hope that you are in a place of ultimate fields free of soccer players, endless tree-lined bike paths, and peace.

This past Shabbos, my roommate Ariella commemorated the seven-year yartzeit of her father and brother. She spoke about the spiritual significance of the number seven, and how it plays a large role in Judaism and the Torah. She explained how this number symbolizes the cyclical nature of life, and a time for renewal. A few hours earlier I had been in shul and heard a speech on the parshah, which happened to discuss the seven-year cycle of Shmitah. The woman giving the speech was soon to be married and related this issue in the parshah to the seven days of creation and to walking around the groom seven times at the ceremony. I was pondering this Week of Sevens (on the seventh day of the week), only to be struck by the fact that it had been seven weeks since Amir passed away.

I have never been a very spiritual person, but I have always let a little bit of faith in G-d guide me through life. I am reminded of the time Amir called himself a spiritual person, which would seem paradoxical to most who knew him. However, thinking about him now, I can only conclude that someone whith such a vibrant spirit would have to be spiritual as well. Maybe some of his spirituality has rubbed off on me. I don’t know that I will ever understand the significance of all these sevens coming together, but I believe there is something to it. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.