went out to seattle this last weekend. but before i grovel for forgiveness in having shafted half the people i know (who all happen to live out there), let me just say i orbited around my parents' house for nearly the entire visit. grandpa (opa) has been living out there for the last while and he's been ailing. this strong man has become so fragile, i was afraid to help him up lest i crush something. he was lucid on saturday, so we had a delightful conversation centering around the rise and fall and rise of the red sox. he had a mini-stroke while we were talking, and it was horrifying for me to realize just how fragile he'd become. he wasn't always a kind man, but he was fair. and he was smart. and he wasn't afraid of anything. he was ill sunday and spent the afternoon in bed. friends, immediates, and extendeds headed up to the Mountain for an afternoon of waterfalls and marmots, then feasted on hawaiian haystacks. i had to say my goodbyes to everyone that evening, then, as i had to leave for the airport in the wee sma's. opa woke at 2am and he called me to his room to give his farewell. he remembered who i was and wished me the best in life. heartbreaking how final it felt. lieber opa! so bossy, so stubborn, yet he delighted in whatever delighted us grandkids. encouraged us to expand our horizons and try new things. when i was in hawaii, he fell, breaking 4 ribs. i moved into his retirement home and took care of him. but i think he did more for me than i could have ever done for him- we talked of books and baseball and 'krauts' (opa was never very PC). he even ate my cooking (that in itself is love). my thoughts are scattered. if this can be pieced together to make any sense, i've done a better job than i could have anticipated.
forward all good thoughts care of opa.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
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