And just to tell you a little bit about Granddad Reid: he's had three bouts of cancer, three strokes and two heart attacks (give or take a few life-threatening challenges)...needless to say, he is not the same as he used to be. Some may say that he is winding down (I can say that because I know it will never get back to him--my mother doesn't read my blog, my dad doesn't know I have a blog and my grandparents don't believe in blogs....so I'm good)--but I say he is just getting ticking!
At his dinner party, bunch of people got up to say something nice about him...then he stood up. When he took the microphone to give an impromptu speech of his life's advice, everyone got a little nervous. After all, there were (great grand) children there.
But he did something that no one expected--after a few moments of silence...just standing there...he started to sing(?). Now most of you are probably too young to have grandparents to remember this song, but he started off, "There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy..." It was at this point that his kids rushed up to him and told him not to sing but just to say something.
The song was Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy." And I wish he would have sung the whole song, because I don't think that was granddad being crazy, but I think he wanted to get to the end message of that song. The last line is, "the greatest thing, you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."
For a guy who was turning 80 that had kissed death his fair share....maybe that was exactly what he was trying to say.
When you love and aren't loved it's exciting but depressing.
When you are loved and don't love it's flattering but annoying.
When you love and are loved the world turns just for you...
Love and be loved! Is there a greater thing you can learn through experience?
Hopefully, 65 years from now, I can look at a room of posterity--companion on the side--and say the same.
Oh...and there is another story coming about old cute couples soon. Needs another post. Don't old people in love just get you excited for love?
I secretly just did our elephant medley dance...by myself. You need to come back here so we can reenact it together! Love you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I wish I could have times like this with my grandparents. I never really got this kind of advice from my grandparents because my grandfathers died when I was young, one of my grandmothers died before I really had the chance to get to know her, and I don't often get to talk with my one living grandmother. I think "what is the greatest thing you've learned?" is going to be one of my top questions for any old person that I get to talk to and spend time with. :-)
ReplyDeleteLOVED this post! so cute, poignant, uplifting.
ReplyDelete"When you love and aren't loved..." I loved this whole paragraph. You summed it up perfectly - and to love and be loved is the definitely the greatest. Such a great reminder, whether it comes from a relative or John Leguizamo playing a midget.
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