My last surviving uncle just died, he was almost 90 but the trajectory of his life was not 9 decades but how he began and where he ended up. He was born in a small North African fishing town, to a father overwhelmed by the forces of life, prejudice and colonialism and a mother who was very loving but as trapped as the women of her time and place couldn’t help but be. The youngest of 4 he was still in his early teens when he was expected to contribute to the family which he did as a fisherman. From there he developed an expertise in metallurgy, became a successful businessman, then upon immigrating to Israel ended up working in their space program doing something so specialized very few could replace him. Once in the United States he had to start over to make sure his five children would have the start he never had. Although he had a devoted wife by his side, he set the tone for being a wise father endowed with the love his mother had shown him and all the qualities his father had not been able to. And now his legacy passes to 9 grandchildren one more wonderful than the other and lets the rest of us know that the measure of success in life is not measured in financial gain, prominence or recognition, but by the arc of our life’s trajectory.