Despite the vicissitudes life had thrown at him, Robert managed to do something truly astonishing.

He applied to Sir George Williams University (now Concordia), Faculty of Electrical Engineering. He was turned down for one simple reason, he hadn’t even finished high school! When we left Egypt, he was in grade 11. Next, he proposed to them to take night courses (again in Engineering). They must have thought he was insane; but it was his prerogative to take after-hour courses. Lo and behold, he passed the first year this way. He then was able to carry on as a day student, and amazingly, one day, he was handed his university degree.

Studying to be an engineer is a walk through hell! And, only if you’re an engineer yourself can you appreciate what an incredible feat this is. I know I don’t fully appreciate it.

When one door closes, another one opens. And through that door walked a much loved sister. Liette is (what was then known as) a French Canadian, a descendant of French settlers who came to Canada some 400 years ago. Only the best and hardiest survived the early conditions of this frozen land. If you want to verify the theory of The Survival of the Fittest, get acquainted with Liette!

They were married in 1974. The bride was, oh, so beautiful (and this time character and looks went hand in hand). Robert was his impossibly good looking self again.

In 1975, I moved to Ottawa, having secured a splendid position with the Auditor General of Canada. It only takes two hours to travel between Montreal and Ottawa. Thus, we saw each other often.

Rita and Michael looked forward to the time spent with their cousins, Allan, and the cute little Frederic, the son Robert and Liette were blessed with.

There came a time when Norma and I explored the possibility of an afterlife. After educating ourselves, and really coming to believe in our survival after “death,” we shared our knowledge with Liette and Robert. But something much better was yet to come: The Urantia Book.

When we sat to discuss the Book, I was only halfway through it; and yet, we talked for 3 solid hours!

Shortly after they returned to Montreal, Liette called us and told us that Robert was very interested in The Urantia Book and could we please purchase him a copy.

His copy sat on a shelf for years! And then one day he was ready; he took the Book and started reading; he never looked back.

He eventually met other readers and now holds study groups in his home. He came to know the Urantia Book’s teachings better than I do. The classic story of the pupil surpassing the teacher!

Today, Robert and Liette are happily retired. Liette after a long career with Bell Canada. Robert after many rewarding years with Hydro Quebec. Their time is spent spoiling their 6 adorable grandchildren, and traveling as often as they can. I can’t think of two people who deserve their golden years more.

Robert connects me to my past. We can share Arabic and Hebrew expressions, really intermingle them with our French and English in a conversation. Even more important, we can together relive past events. So much happened in Egypt, Italy, Israel, and eventually Canada.

The ultimate reward of having Robert as a brother is to discuss the fact that God loved us so much, he send four different countries (with their languages and cultures) and countless tests our way.

Our tribulations were in reality “… the tempering fire that is transmuting the soft iron of immature personality into the tempered steel of real character.” (Quoted from The Urantia Book).

Robert has shared this unique experience with me.

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