Today My Dad Would Have Been 90

Today my dad would have been 90. It's the 3rd year I have not been able to call him and wish him a Happy Birthday. If feels like it's been longer in some ways. So many things have happened since he passed away on November 4, 2022. My son graduated high school the following year and is now in his 3rd year of collage. We moved from Brooklyn to the Hudson Valley area of NY State a little over 2 years ago. My oldest step-son got married in June of this year. I rebranded my business to The Confident Vegan in October of 2023 and in March of this year, I launched That Vegan Morning show with my friend and co-host Kimberly Winters of the Did You Bring The Hummus Podcast.

Lots of life's big moments and little moments. I miss our weekly phone calls catching up. I miss our almost yearly visits to Las Vegas to visit him and my step-mother. He had built a life out in Las Vegas after retiring. In 2022 his health declined rapidly. I went to visit him with my son in February of that year. His health was not doing well at that time and then progressively got worst after that visit. On October 14, 2022 I received a phone call from my step-mother that my dad went into cardiac arrest during a medical procedure. He was resuscitated and on a ventilator. She didn't know what was going to happen. I jumped on a plane the next morning. I kept thinking about my mom when she had her heart attack and was in the hospital, never waking up. By the time I got to Las Vegas my dad was awake and still on the ventilator. He could communicate on a board. The following day the ventilator was removed. There were a lot of complications and it was discovered that cancer had spread throughout his body. On October 26, 2022 we were able to celebrate his 87th birthday with him in his hospital room. The nurses were so supportive and allowed us to decorate his room a little bit. I went to Whole Foods and bought a bunch of vegan treats. I organized them on a plate and put Birthday decorations on top.

The vegan treats I arranged for this Birthday.

It was a bittersweet moment. I knew it was the last birthday we would be spending with him and at the same time I was so grateful to have that opportunity to celebrate his Birthday with him one more time. Even though that period of time he was in the hospital was difficult, it felt like a gift to be able to let my dad know how much he was loved and appreciated.

My dad taught my son how to make waffles during a visit in September 2016.

July 2018 visit to The Valley Of Fire

My dad and step-mother with my son at Lake Mead during a visit in December of 2019

Picture of my dad and son from our February 2022 visit. I think this is the last photo I took of them together.

This became a classic photo of my dad taken in December of 2019. You can learn more about it here in a previous post.

I am feeling a mixture of complicated emotions as I write this post. It was nice being able to take a moment and share about him here on his Birthday.

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Jennifer Shlomovich is a recovering people-pleaser turned confidence coach. As the only vegan in her household, she knows firsthand how challenging it can be to stay true to your values when the people around you aren’t on the same path. For years, she put everyone else’s needs ahead of her own, but through her journey, she discovered the power of setting boundaries, living by her values, and confidently prioritizing her well-being. Now, she helps busy women simplify plant-based living so they can improve their health, save time, and feel supported—even if their family isn’t on board. On her YouTube channel, The Confident Vegan, she shares inspiring interviews, practical tips, and empowering conversations about what it really means to live in alignment with your values. She is also the co-host of That Vegan Morning Show with Kimberly Winters of the Did You Bring The Hummus podcast