Friday, July 31, 2015
i met Dr. Faber in 1993; he had a second-floor office near a mall near Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne; the building was close to a freight line; the office was small and crowded with files, books, assorted furnishings; windows were on the west wall through which one could watch a train would go by; it didn't ever distract Dr Faber, not once, during our visits;
Dr Faber was large in stature, a friendly and jolly man; he kept his beard neatly short; if he'd grown a longer beard, he might have passed for Santa Claus; a few years later, he went on a diet and lost some weight; he told us that he was going to be traveling; he looked good, he always looked well;
His speaking voice was very pleasant, a baritone, probably; he was quick to smile when he heard something that was funny and didn't frown when he heard something that wasn't; instead, he'd look interested, thoughtful, maybe he'd write something down in his notes; if he did, it was followed by a comment or a question, hoping to coax out an answer; he didn't push for the answers, he nurtured them to grow instead;
we didn't talk a lot about specific problems so much as we'd cover a wide range of topics followed by: would you like to go to a museum to see these paintings by so and so? how are your parents? have you read about this or seen that movie? the time would fly by and then it would be time to go;
the appointments were in the late afternoon; half of the year, it would be dark when we left his office in search of a restaurant or to go hit the market before heading home; second floor, out the back door (same way we came in) and down the flights of white painted steel stairs to the parking lot; there was Dr Faber's car; how'd i know it was his car? did his license plate say FABER? i don't remember ...
there are a lot of things i don't remember; it has been twenty years since our last visit;
i don't know why i thought about Googling Dr Faber today, i just did;
and now, sitting here twenty years later and 500 miles away in Northern California, i am recreating that office in the South Bay, remembering a man i'm not ashamed to say i loved and am so grateful to have known; i'm choked up and holding back tears;
to Dr Faber's family, i'm sorry for your loss;
91 years old is a good, long life, and i am comforted to know he was surrounded by his family;
thank you for having this memorial, this place online, to remember Dr Faber, may he rest in peace; thank you.
