Our aunt Nira is our mom’s younger sister. From birth, she was always one of our favorite people—it wasn’t because she carried a pack of gum with her or that we could always count on her to take us out to pizza.

Nira always had an unwavering belief in us. Neither one of us had self-esteem issues, but if you compare our own self-perception with how Nira viewed us, it was like night and day.

A couple of months ago, Nira came from Israel for a month-long visit. She’s been having some health issues lately, and we knew what a big deal it was for her to make the trip. As we were sitting talking to Nira, we noticed that not much has changed. We’re no longer kids, but Nira’s belief in us is still unwavering. “I’m telling you, everything you’ll do will turn out great. Wait and see.” 

Yes, as adults we can logically question Nira’s relentless optimistic view of us. But there’s something very touching about her unconditional love. We also wonder about the psychology of it all: Did Nira’s viewing us in such a positive light help us live up to the role she ascribed to us?

Psychological forces aside, though, it’s Nira’s support that inspired us to dedicate Sway to her.