A Love That Lasts Beyond a Lifetime
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that at 42 years old, I would be writing about my husband’s celebration of life — the man who has been my heart and my other half for more than half of my own lifetime.
This isn’t just a story about love. It’s a story about God’s timing, about growing up together, building dreams side by side, and creating a life that was filled with laughter, hard work, and grace — even through the hardest seasons.
Our story began 27 years ago, at volleyball tryouts at the Assyrian American Civic Club of Turlock. I went to try out for the girls’ team, and Dany was already on the men’s team. I was just 15, and he was 19 — both of us young, full of energy, and completely unaware that fate was quietly setting the stage for a lifelong love story.
Within two short months, on July 8, 1998, we started dating, and from that day on, we were inseparable. Whether it was long late-night phone calls, hours at the gym, or endless volleyball practices, we were always together. We grew up side by side — learning, dreaming, and becoming who we were meant to be, together.
After six years of dating, we said “I do” on June 5, 2004 — the day that officially began our forever.
From a young age, Dany had an entrepreneurial spirit that couldn’t be contained. He was always business-minded, always thinking big. As a boy in Iran, he sold corn on the street corner; as a young man in Turlock, he sold pagers out of his bedroom. That same drive and determination led him to open his first retail location, World Wide Communications, in 2001 — his very own cell phone store.
It was just who Dany was: ambitious, passionate, and endlessly hardworking. But what truly defined him wasn’t just his success — it was his heart.
Everyone who knew Dany says the same thing: he always had a smile on his face. He was the kind of man who would drop everything to help someone in need, a man with a generous spirit and a warmth that drew people in. He had this way of making everyone feel seen, heard, and valued.
After years of struggling with infertility, in 2020, God blessed us with our precious daughter, Emma — the miracle we had prayed for. She completed us. One year later, on June 5, 2021 — our wedding anniversary — we had Emma baptized by Father John, whose father had baptized me when I was a baby. It took place at the same church where Dany and I exchanged vows.
That moment was deeply symbolic for both of us — a full-circle blessing that reminded us how faithful God is, even when His timing looks different than our own.
Dany was not only my husband, but my best friend, my partner in everything, and the greatest father our daughter could ever have. His love continues to live on — in the countless lives he touched, in the laughter he shared, and most beautifully, in Emma’s smile, which mirrors his own.
Though my heart aches for the life we should still be living together, I find peace in knowing that Dany’s story didn’t end — it just changed. His love remains — woven through every memory, every lesson, and every bit of strength that carries me forward.
Because true love doesn’t fade, it lives on — in spirit, in faith, and in the legacy we leave behind.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud... It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:4–8
