Soon, in another month, it will be four years since my husband, Abe, died. I don’t think I could have written this sooner; but enough time has passed to allow me to have some perspective.

The first thing that comes to mind is how proud I was and am of who he became.

We met at age seventeen, just graduated from high school. He was the first boy I ever kissed. When we discussed marriage it was always about the family we would create together. And the business we would also create together.

We had three children but lost two to congenital heart conditions. But, we did have two wonderful sons.

However, it was the loss of our oldest child, Linda, and the desire to come back to life that led to the purchase of the Baltimore Bullets.

This proved to be a defining moment in our lives. It led to some incredible experiences in Baltimore and eventually, Washington. We built the Capital Centre and eventually, the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.

We won a championship in 1978 and amazing travel experiences with the basketball team, the hockey team and all of the amazing events that took place in both of those buildings.

So many marvelous memories, but what stands out for me now, is what Abe accomplished. While we were doing all these things, it didn’t occur to me or probably even to him, what we were actually accomplishing.

We were so busy just doing.

I know at the time when we were planning the Verizon Center, we expected it would make some changes in that neighborhood, but never to the extent that it has. Always, the goal was to bring professional sports and entertainment to the city of Washington — downtown Washington.

But it is in this aspect, that I am particularly proud of my husband: it was an extremely difficult task.

Dealing with the city government, closing off streets, pleasing the Chinese community, constructing the facility over a subway, financing the building, getting it done in a short period of time, and building a new and exciting facility, I don’t know anyone who could have done this. Luckily, he knew construction and sports but mostly, he wanted to create something that no one else had ever done.

I can say now, that there wasn’t one event that we didn’t attend when the lights went on and the crowd roared, that he didn’t glow with pride and I didn’t glow with pride over his satisfaction.

How lucky I was to have been his only partner.

Recently I read that the Wizards went to Brazil and played a preseason game there. Traveling with a professional sports team abroad reminds me immediately of some of the fabulous experiences that Abe and I had traveling with the Bullets to China, the Philippines and Israel. Also, some of the trips we made with the Capitals to Russia, Finland and Sweden.

Some of the best parts were when all of us were sitting on a train or bus together; sharing the daily experiences with travel, hotels, language, food, drinks, and people!

Where do I start?

First of all, this was in the 1980’s so these countries were still communist. And, yes, we always had a KGB guide with us. Not, of course, Israel or Finland and Sweden but certainly, Russia and China.

Which stories should I tell?

Abe negotiating with the Russian director over acquiring two Russian players to play for the Capitals and what they would be paid, or the negotiations in Shanghai over the rules of the upcoming game?

Well, let’s do both.

What was particularly funny about the Russian negotiations is that for several days, Abe was, of course, speaking in English through an interpreter until the last day, when suddenly, as negotiations became more intense, his counterpart began speaking in perfect English. “Mr. Pollin, Bobby Orr earns one million a year!”

And in China, there were also lots of negotiations, but one of the funniest experiences was the day of the game, when our hosts were walking our entire group – players included — through absolutely every park in the city for hours and hours.  We soon realized they wanted to wear our players out before the game!

To this day, whenever I do see the players at international events, we still talk about the fun we had on those trips.  They were so unique and unforgettable.