Swimming
When I was little, my grandfather used to carry me on his shoulders and walk out into the ocean.
I’m older now, and he’s older (85, I think, this year. 85!) and he has never carried my little sister like that, he barely even goes into the ocean himself anymore, and not chest deep when he does.
But today we were at the pool together, playing with all the inflatable toys (and pool noodles) that were in there. He flipped me over (on lounges) a few times; we dueled with the noodles; I managed to flip him over once, because he spent most of the time cheating by slipping out of the tube whenever I came near. I don’t know when I last played with him like that — years and years, probably. Oh, we tease, and we see each other regularly, but this was better.
It makes me sad, too, watching time fly, knowing that I do not have much longer with him, that my sisters and cousins did not get the same grandparents as I did. (I am the oldest grandchild.) I think of my greatuncle, now 6 years in hospital, unable to remember anything. Give-me-a-kiss-Mort, he called himself. I don’t know who else remembers that. I wish I had seen him more before he got sick, in the earliest parts of his illness. I think of my greataunt, how we used to have the breaking of the fast at her apartment, that it seems like just a few years ago that we stopped, though it’s been more like 12 years. And it makes me sad thinking what the world will be like when I am their age.
I don’t know how this post suddenly turned so melancholy.
July 31st, 2006 at 12:45 pm
It’s neat you were able to have fun with him like that today. Also nice to see the old fox’s still got it, with the flipping and dueling.