I Cannot Say Goodbye’

Marilyn,

I met you not long after we came to Herzliya Pituach which is almost 30 years ago, at a meeting of the archeology group at Tel Aviv University, and somehow we clicked. You had this ability to get on with almost everyone. Your number of different kinds of friends is amazing. And I use the present tense purposely because you are still with me and I think I can say this for a lot of us.

I remember the times I came to you, just to talk, to hear another opinion on what seemed to me to be a big problem, and you always had a most interesting opinion on how to solve my dilemma.

You love travelling and even if you are travelling in a different direction now, the trips you made here in Israel will always stay in my memory: in particular those to Eilat and to Daliyat Al-Karmel.

And only last week you, Stella and I lunched together for three hours, not so much eating as talking. I will remember that long conversation for many a year to come.

I am sorry but I cannot say 'Goodbye'.

Naomi Ariel