My mother's birthday is the 16th. She would be turning 56. She has been gone for almost seven years. I still miss her and not a day passes without wondering what she would have thought about certain things.

I remember her last B-day with us, it was shortly after my bar mitzvah. The family--my sister Serach, mom, dad and I celebrated her birthday with a train ride to Jerusalem, eating cake on the train, then going to the Kotel and then to see my elder brother. It was such a happy day!

It was her habit to recite Psalm 23 with each of us before bed every night. Now I recite it by myself every night, hoping to maintain that connection between heaven and earth, between mom and me.

I miss my mother. I love my stepmother and I'm very happy for my father and her, but still, I wish mom was still with us.

On Wednesday I'm celebrating my mother's birthday with a train ride with my brother and nephew. It won't be from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but it will be a train ride, like 7 years ago.