Our Story
Abbas and Diane Nahas
You left this world but never my heart
I am writing this memory almost 15 years in 2022 after I tragically lost my beloved husband of 42 year duration in 2007. I will never forget the moment at about 5 a.m. at the hospital when I asked the doctor about how Abbas was doing. His answer was “No”. I stood there with me for maybe ½ an hour and I was completely frozen, unable to speak as I realized I would never again be able to speak to my best friend, husband, father of our two sons. Finally, the tears came and they still come every day when I wake up, when I go to sleep and at times during the day.
The loss is gruesome. I always believed the technology would be able to save his life from his devastating heart and lung problems which had become evident with his first heart attack in 2008. Technology saved us from the tragic end for 19 years. I think of all the things that happened during those 19 years. He saw his sons become lawyers; of course he worked 6 days a week maybe 10 hours a day in helping the seriously sick get better. How his patients and colleagues loved him for his caring and ability to make everyone’s lives better. His colleagues always voted him to be the President of the Medical Society to guide them in their continuing medical education. Of course, he guided us, his family. He empowered me to take my Master’s degree; his sons to finish college, graduate school and law school; get the lawyer’s credentials at the Bar.
What breaks my heart every day is that he never saw his darling grandson, Michael Abbas Nahas or can participate in Michael’s life as an inspiration to achieve great accomplishments such as the ones Abbas achieved. He achieved so much that it’s hard to envision how powerful his mind and determination drove him. He achieved every medical recognition available for a medical doctor to achieve through his unimaginable resolve. His proudest achievement was the award granted by the medical community to a lifelong fellowship membership in the American Medical Association. His mind was supernaturally brilliant; but his body was weakened so that he couldn’t continue to contribute his saving help to all those depending on him. He worked every day of his life until his body failed and medical science and art were unable to let him continue his great works. Tears come to me as I write about this awful end to a beautiful man.
How I met Abbas
I met Abbas at New York University when I was 21. Luckily for me, we married. Nothing better has happened to me since the day we married and kept our partnership for the duration of his life and years after his death, I feel the same love for him as I did on day 1. He was a force of intelligence, goodness, caring for me and our two children. Not that we didn’t have our fights about family and money issues; but that didn’t interfere with our basic commitment to one another, nor did it ruin our love for each other.
We were so lucky to live a dream life in which we always had food, security, fun and love without exception. We never achieved financial richness; but we were never short of whatever we needed emotionally or materially.
Nothing better has happened to me since the day we married and kept our partnership for the duration of his life and years after his death, I feel the same love for him as I did on day 1
Our sons are successful men and are living their lives separately from mine. For me, I have my house, our memorabilia, and always the feeling that someone is missing.
Thank you, my dearest, most precious husband for providing a good life for me and our sons. My deepest wish is that my grandson can take inspiration from you and your chosen path in life as you watch over him and us from where you sit in another realm.
To bring you up to date: Greg has qualified to argue in the United States Supreme Court-he wrote a 100 page legal brief that was accepted for consideration by the Court; Chris is working a dream job as a lawyer for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, a company, that I believe, is well-established in the USA and worldwide. Our little Michael Abbas Nahas now speaks French at an age appropriate level and without accent according to his teacher and the principal of the French American school, a private school that far exceeds the standards of any American public school. He is a loving, intelligent, healthy, popular child. He has chosen to be a Cub Scout and says he aims to become an Eagle Scout after the example of Greg. He says his ambition in life is to become a marine biologist so he can observe how sea creatures live in their environment. He still has to learn how to swim and dive and is in the very beginning stages of that process. According to Chris, he hasn’t had the courage yet to put his face under water. Chris and Greg, of course, as you know are swimmers and divers since early childhood. I hope Chris will be able to get Michael to follow suit. Michael Abbas Nahas also says he wants to become a data analyst. He knows that data analysts have to know math.
I love MMichael Abbas Nahas as I love Chris and Greg. I only hope that I can be a part of his life as he grows up. There are some painful obstacles that are not in the best interest of this goal.