To be Dan's mom is to challenge yourself every day anew. Knowing that this is a child with tremendous inner strength. Knowing that he will always get what he wants, and every moment to resist it is a complete waste of time.

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To be Dan's mother is to know how to recognize the small troubles he is silent about. Knowing not to bother in the moments he asks himself questions.

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To be Dan's mother is to be available all the time. To flow, to flow all the time with sensible things and with lesser ones. Understand that his priorities are different from those of ordinary children.

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Understand that Dan has a "Midas touch" and know that one day he will have a hard time dealing with failures. And that day comes, and Dan chooses a path that is inconsistent with home culture. To know, at that moment to take from him the choice and decide for him, even at the cost of short-term loss of happiness. Knowing that at the end of the process he will appreciate and love me more than ever. Because I dared to decide for him

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Know how to support. Constantly support. Knowing that living on the bat, in endless competition, with the desire to be the best, most successful comes at a price of constant stress. Be there, behind with a lot of love.

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Knowing he is always there for me. On good days and very bad days. Knowing he's my shoulder. Like Uri, Adi and Dor I know he will be there as long as I want.

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Allow him to choose for me and push me into a new and happy life. 

Be proud to be Dan Hanegbi's mother. The most proud in the world.  

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And these are the things I said the day we accompanied you on your final journey

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Dan

Everyone calls you Dan-Dan.

And all who know us will testify that there has not been a single opportunity that we have not taken advantage of the right to glory, to exalt praise and glorify your name. Dan, Dandan, Dandush. Our second child. Brother to Uri, Adi and Dor.

Every day, every day we would say thank you for what we have. Every day, every day we admire this miracle that happened to us.

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Our Dandush,

From the moment you came into our lives you knew at any given moment where you were coming from and where you were going. You left nothing to chance. Everything is planned, accurate and perfect. Even on the day your life was plucked, your commute to work was beautifully planned. You did not stumble, you did not stumble, you did not slip. Murdered.

We were privileged to be the parents of a child who nothing stands in his way, who was a professional even before he had any profession, who was a winner even before he got on any sports field.

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At age 5, you held the tennis racket for the first time. We looked at you and we already knew where the road would lead you.

At age 7 that kids chose which camp to go to, you traveled to represent the U.S. Tennis Center.

At the age of 10 you offered to show us the most beautiful thing in the world. You first showed us Sasha and told us she would be your wife.

When other kids went to school every morning and asked "What am I going to do to grow up?" You had all the answers.

We told you that the role of tennis in your life is to bring in an outstanding athlete and a scholarship to the United States.

And you were a "disciplined" child and after several months of serving 20 meters from home as an outstanding athlete, you decided that you were not contributing from suppliers to the state. You agreed to take a pilot course and then remember that you never had a dream of becoming a pilot. But instead of returning to athletic status, you decided to go for the Walnut Cruiser.

Anat Tal-Shir and Tzadok Yehezkeli wrote about him in the Yedioth Ahronoth supplement in November 2002

"The members of the patrol did not stop laughing at him ....

A man with a heavy heart returned from the Muqata. When I picked you up for the car, tired, hungry you said "now I understand the meaning of the phrase - fear of death".

Sarit Hadad's song Shema Yisrael was played on the radio

" when the heart Cries only God hears 
The pain rises from the soul 
A person falls before he sinks 
In a small prayer cuts the silence "

You have a crawl with books on your back, and you are preparing for exams that will allow you to enter a university in the United States.

Indeed a great stone has fallen from our hearts that you have been accepted to study at Binghamton University. There, you reached achievements that made you a star. I still remember we visited there, and on the street you were stopped to ask for autographs or to be photographed with you. We had not until then understood what status you received in the community.

But for you, of course, that was not enough, because you are not satisfied with what is there if there is something better. And if you're already in the US then less than  IVY LEAGUE was not in your shopping list.

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After two years you moved to the prestigious BROWN University and there was no end to your happiness.

But all this happiness came from one and only one thing - you were closer than ever to Sasha, who was there by your side and encouraged you and directed you and became the most significant thing in your life.

We have no doubt, that Brown has shaped your personality in such a way that the whole world opens up before you with unlimited possibilities. Because even there, you did not go up to play before you bent over the bag, took out the Israeli flag, wrapped yourself in it and spread it on the chair. When the entire audience at PROVIDENCE encourages "Kadima Dan" in Hebrew. Zionist, proud Israeli. This is how Dan, this is how you brought the team to win the IVY LEAGUE championship. Dan Dan, always faithful to the need to excel, to excel and then ... to hide the trophies in the closet.

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"What will I ask him for what he will bless - this is the boy the angel asked" - blessed to start a family with Sasha. You gave birth to Omri and Mika.

Our son swore to keep your will regarding them. We know very well what you asked for them. For you were, precise, orderly and planned. You wanted to ensure them an excellent education and security. You wanted and we were all clean.

They will grow up knowing that Dad loved them immensely, who was always there. And right, all the fathers are like that. But whoever has not seen Dan surfing with Omri in skiing or wrestling with Mika in tennis, puts them on sports facilities, so that everyone will see, that they, like him, are winners by birth.

And here stands before us this mighty crowd, which reflects the mosaic of your life.

And all this audience standing here is saying with us - we have won.

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On the third anniversary I wrote to you

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Bits of life of excellence

"Grandma," Omri asks me, "Where are Daddy's trophies?"

"I packed them in crates." We wrapped them one by one and they lay in three huge crates

"Grandma" Mika asks me "Are you taking them to the new house"

Sure, I answer. I made them a special place in the new house.

"Grandma, what are these boxes that are written about Dan to Omri?" Omri asks me

She takes a deep breath, hugs him and tells him that these boxes contain all of Daddy's clothes that Mama Sasha and I thought he would want to wear.  time.

Omri, with sensitive and smart eyes waiting for me to continue.

The clothes of the Israeli tennis team, the clothes of the tennis teams of the colleges, the wedding suit with Sasha.

Quiet.

Kids bring an album, I ask?

They jump on my bed Omri on the right and Mika on the left, I choose a random album.

In the photo album from the kindergarten and the class a.

Tells them funny stories about Dandan. How he would line up all the kids in the morning and force them to do morning exercises. I demonstrate to them and we explode with laughter.

Mika does imitations of Dan. She should not imitate him because Mika is Dan.

They ask if he was a good student. I say yes.

"Yes" is an insufficient answer. Omri demands detail: Was everything good?

"I think so, but especially in the account"

Mika does not remain obligated: "I'm really excellent at arithmetic."

At the end of the album, a picture of the end of first grade. Only Dandan does not appear in the picture. Because he was on his first tennis trip. I tell them no at age 7 Dandan traveled for a month to represent the tennis centers in the United States. And how because of tennis he knew his mother. And there, in this passage she tells them that many parents did not understand how to let a small child travel alone for so long. And how important it was for Dad to be a part of those teams.

This is how, children, this is how excellence begins.

This is how these children begin to be that no one stands in their way.

This is how a life story begins that is all about excellence

And excellence has a price. The constant desire to be first and best of all, which brings with it many tensions, self-criticism until this moment when things happen.

Yes, Dandan has never stopped striving to do everything best, most perfect and be first place.

When he returned from the United States for the first time, he realized he did not know enough history to have conversations with the hosts. A whole week obliges me to go through with it all the great events of the 20th century. From that moment on, he eagerly read history books.

On the next trip we received a letter from a family who lived with her, who had never met a child who knew the history of the United States like Dandan. He was 9 years old.

When Dandan's boxes came to me and I unpacked them, I found out that twice in a row he was voted the best player in colleges in the US. Two pieces of glass written MVP. I put them in the living room and tried to think when he even told us about it.

Then two more certificates of excellence that he was selected as an outstanding athlete of the ivy league

The wall is filled with bits of life of excellence.

The essence of Dandan's life. Excel.

To excel, it's a lifestyle.

Not to brag about achievements - it's a character.

Crates are packed again. Inside one of the cups is a ring. I recognize that his name is stamped on it and two bats are drawn. I raise a question on the net and his coach writes, that Dandan got this ring after they won the college championship and he was the No. 1 batsman - and the team captain. Today the ring is polished and placed on my finger.

I remember he took me to the University store in Brown. Stood and looked at the rings there. I asked him if I could buy him one. He did not agree. I know today that he aims to win the same ring of shoppers in the store, but to win a lot of hard work.

I approach the wall with the pictures I scattered in the room of moments of happiness of Dandan and Sasha and the children. Lots of funny faces, little kids' drawings. moments of joy. On the study window is a picture I printed, which Dandan strokes Omri's head on the steps in Brooklyn. Dandan's strong hand looks so soft and comforting.

"I remember that" says Omri "I fell, and Dad sat and stroked me".  A moment of silence "Yes, I really remember that".

They stand, staring at the picture and Mika, unsurprisingly, announces "and I remember how Dad taught me to ride a bicycle." And makes us demonstrations.

Laughing again. Because when Deden teaches cycling, he designates Mika to be the first rider in the Tour de France.

Insist I tell them funny stories about Dandan. All the stories drain at the end for a moment that Mika asks: Grandma, was he the best? There is no doubt that competitiveness and excellence are inherited.

... When Sasha and the children returned to New York last summer, to the same street where they lived as a young couple, I could not help but remember the moments when I would go out with Dandan to walk around the city. He was so proud of the little family he and Sasha started.

When he would talk to me about Sasha, he always said. "You know how much I love you Sasha." And right after that "Mom you have to understand, she's in the highest league on Wall Street." Because excelling is not just me. Because when Sasha succeeds, the power of excellence increases.

Have you seen a father who builds complete excels and does a doctorate on choosing a school for first grade?

"Mom, you see, the percentage of Ivy graduates from this school is the highest in the United States. Omri must study there. "The tension he had before they received answers to which school Omri was accepted was higher than anything I remembered playing tennis. Too bad I did not record the day he tells me Omri was received on his avenue. Was not happy with him. Father of the Year.

Dandan's life, are pieces of life of excellence. And this is his will for us.

In my big life crisis, which hugged me, grabbed me by both shoulders, shook me and said to me: "Look at me. What are you afraid of? The most successful person I know. Look what you have achieved in your life. You are strong, you are beautiful, you are super talented - keep going Come on. All the life you have given us, it's time we give you back. "

Every time I feel bad - I recreate this moment that was given to me as a will of life.

Looking back years I know, that you have attached me to the collection of pieces of life of your excellence.

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