My name is Janet, and I am Mike's self-appointed bossy older sister. I'm not sure whether I adopted Mike and his mother, Sylvia, back in 1989 or whether it happened the other way around, but they became family to me.
Drawn by the opportunity to play poker at Foxwoods Casino, Mike and Sylvia began an extended weekly stay at the small hotel that I managed in Plainfield, Connecticut. This went on for months and provided the basis for a friendship that has endured for decades. We were together for their initial move from Brooklyn, NY to Uncasville, CT; Mike's stint as a poker dealer with Mohegan Sun; another apartment move to Norwich; through my divorce and remarriage; the pain of Sylvia's death; Mike's solo move to a smaller Norwich apartment; and onward to today with the current grim state of Mike's health.
I promised Sylvia in her last months that I would take care of her son, and I stand ready to come alongside him to bring support in the days ahead. My husband, son, and extended family members all know the strength of my friendship with Mike, and although they aren't quite sure why it exists, they accept it without question. He is the brother of my heart, and my dear friend. My life has been blessed by having Mike and Sylvia Gordon in my life.
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