My grandfather, Dziadziu in polish, is aging. As with all of my grandparents, he will not stay young forever. But despite the fact that he is getting older, stooping a little more in his walk, he still relentlessly smiles and is genuinely glad to see anyone, but most of all his family. Whenever he does see family, he is simply happy. Perhaps the greatest attribute that my grandfather has is eternal care giving. These days, you can see it most with his wife of over 50 years, my other wonderful grandmother. His wife, some time back, did not listen to doctors about her diabetes and the illness took its toll on her health. It slowly took away her eyesight and most of her hearing. She now has trouble doing simple tasks like eating and using the bathroom. The only way she is able to take care of anything really is with the help of my grandfather. At every meal, he essentially helps feed her. He cuts up her food, makes sure it is on her spoon, guides her hand to her drink, tucks her napkin in, butters her bread. His whole life at this point, it seems, is dedicated to helping my grandmother get through the day. Luckily for him, they now live in an assisted living facility where he doesn't have to do as much to take care of my grandmother. Still, he has never complained about the care taking and I feel it comes in part from his deep rooted sense of family. He has never forgotten that family is the most important thing in life. He is an inspiration to me, to see how he as aged and yet still able to maintain a jovial attitude. For that I am thankful.
But it is not just his jovial spirit, his care taking, or his endless jokes that I will remember. I will mostly remember the days when I was younger when I used to spend time with him. In their house in Chicoppee, MA, I will remember most the days spent walking the old train tracks behind his house. Overgrown and not having been used for years, it was the perfect playground for a little kid. We used to search for loose railroad spikes and collect them, as many as my little hands could carry at the time. He used to tell me about the factories we passed, the sidings used for coal deliveries, and the history of the railroad. To me, it was like being Lewis and Clark, exploring the unknown (at least to me), and not knowing where the next bend in the tracks would lead us. For those fond memories, I am forever grateful. I also remember the times spent in Cape Cod at their second home. That was perhaps my favorite spot to vacation when I was younger. When I was younger, my grandfather used to help me build dirt roads in his backyard for my little toy cars. Bridges were made out of sticks and covered in dirt and every road could be forever changed, altered, or lengthened, depending on my whims. What I am most fond of though, are the Thanksgivings we used to spend out there. We gathered on the Cape for Thanksgiving for a long time (till they had to sell that house) and it was wonderful. We used to get a nice fire going in the fireplace, play card games, board games, or poker for pennies. It was a little respite from our hectic lives and everything seemed peaceful when we were there. The crowds that flood the Cape in summer were long gone and life was a little slower. As long as I live, I will remember all those times spent on the Cape, with my grandfather and our family.
My grandfather, even as he ages, never ceases to make friends. If you walk into the assisted living home where he and my grandmother now live, many people know my grandfather. He zips around that home with his walker, always talking up a neighbor or cracking a joke. He is someone that anyone could look up to. I am glad that he has met his great grandson and I am sure that his dry sense of humor, passed on to my dad and consequently to me, will make its way to my son. As with all my great grandparents, I hope he makes it a few more years so that my son will have memories of his great grandfather. I say this because I see in my grandparents traits that are worth passing down to my son and no matter how much I tell my son about his great grandparents, nothing could compare with him seeing those traits first hand and creating his own memories of how they lived. I want my son to have a deep sense of family and how much they love him. It is one thing for me to tell him how they loved him, it is quite another for him to experience that love first hand. My grandfather has always greeted everyone with a smile, something that I try and do every day. He has always committed himself to family and I find that his commitment was an example for my dad, and in turn for me. Regardless of how much longer my grandfather has on this earth, I will always look up to him, remember the times I spent with him, and will cherish him in my heart. Here's to you Dziadziu.
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