He is now 23 years old and will be graduating from the University of Miami in May. I've been thinking about him a lot lately. All he's been through, loosing both parents, having to move his entire life in his teens. He is a good man and was my main fishin' pardner back in the day. I went back into some of my older files and found this. I think I wrote it in 1999. Anyway reading it made me smile.
I guess I was just indulging in a bit of nostalgia and thought I'd share. I love the man but I do so miss the boy.
M O T H E R' S D A Y
1 9 9 9
We had a great time around my house! Our daughter is a
fancy-schmancy surgeon in Brooklyn, NY so she was
unable to join us but our son came over with his wife
and their 3 year old boy. Call me partial if you must,
but in MY oninion, that little boy stole the show!
Man-oh-man, I have never seen such an energetic kid
(surely I never had that kind of energy). We all had
coffee and dessert and were sitting around talking and
Steven wanted Gram Pa to take him out in the back
yard. Yeah, I think...that would be neat. Not much he
can get into out there....WRONG!
We started off easy, a couple of laps around the
garden, (16' X 32'). I'm panting going into the 3rd
turn of the 1st lap, but hey, he's only 3! I'll get
him on the 2nd lap for sure, no sweat! didn't quite
work out like that, though.
After the race was over he happened upon a stick that
he just couldn't resist. Now, stick in hand, he goes
in search of that perfect something to work over with
the stick. Eureka!! after a brief but intensive search
he settles on my biggest, greenest tomato plant (the
one with the most and biggest tomatoes on it). That
didn't turn out too badly. I was able to get to him on
the back-swing of his 4th whack. The damage was
limited to 2 tomatoes knocked off and stalk damage in
only one place that I could find...after all, he's
only 3.
Well with the track and field event and batting
practice over, I figure he's had enough so I called
him and suggested it was time to go back into the
house. The magic words!! Guess he thought I said ONE
MORE LAP, GRAM PA! By the time I caught up with him he
had made it around to the side of the garden where the
rain guage is placed innocently at the edge of the
grass and he is scooping up dirt and putting it into
the rain gauge. Hey, no harm, he only got it half
full....after all, he's only 3.
Finally he let me pick him up and, with only a quick
stop by the bird bath to wash his hands, we made our
way back into the house and I was reminded about the
axiom, "there is safety in numbers".
They are a great family and that boy is the apple of
my eye but I am glad I don't have to keep up with him
all day, Whewyyyy! I don't know how his mother and
grand mother feel but as far as I'm concerned, this
has been about the best Mother's Day in recent memory.
Hope y'all had a good-un too......W. J.
I guess I was just indulging in a bit of nostalgia and thought I'd share. I love the man but I do so miss the boy.
M O T H E R' S D A Y
1 9 9 9
We had a great time around my house! Our daughter is a
fancy-schmancy surgeon in Brooklyn, NY so she was
unable to join us but our son came over with his wife
and their 3 year old boy. Call me partial if you must,
but in MY oninion, that little boy stole the show!
Man-oh-man, I have never seen such an energetic kid
(surely I never had that kind of energy). We all had
coffee and dessert and were sitting around talking and
Steven wanted Gram Pa to take him out in the back
yard. Yeah, I think...that would be neat. Not much he
can get into out there....WRONG!
We started off easy, a couple of laps around the
garden, (16' X 32'). I'm panting going into the 3rd
turn of the 1st lap, but hey, he's only 3! I'll get
him on the 2nd lap for sure, no sweat! didn't quite
work out like that, though.
After the race was over he happened upon a stick that
he just couldn't resist. Now, stick in hand, he goes
in search of that perfect something to work over with
the stick. Eureka!! after a brief but intensive search
he settles on my biggest, greenest tomato plant (the
one with the most and biggest tomatoes on it). That
didn't turn out too badly. I was able to get to him on
the back-swing of his 4th whack. The damage was
limited to 2 tomatoes knocked off and stalk damage in
only one place that I could find...after all, he's
only 3.
Well with the track and field event and batting
practice over, I figure he's had enough so I called
him and suggested it was time to go back into the
house. The magic words!! Guess he thought I said ONE
MORE LAP, GRAM PA! By the time I caught up with him he
had made it around to the side of the garden where the
rain guage is placed innocently at the edge of the
grass and he is scooping up dirt and putting it into
the rain gauge. Hey, no harm, he only got it half
full....after all, he's only 3.
Finally he let me pick him up and, with only a quick
stop by the bird bath to wash his hands, we made our
way back into the house and I was reminded about the
axiom, "there is safety in numbers".
They are a great family and that boy is the apple of
my eye but I am glad I don't have to keep up with him
all day, Whewyyyy! I don't know how his mother and
grand mother feel but as far as I'm concerned, this
has been about the best Mother's Day in recent memory.
Hope y'all had a good-un too......W. J.
