Monday, May 23, 2011

Cowbells and Quiet

Friday's visit with Poppop was, to quote from J-Lo on American Idol, "Amazing."  He was lucid, able to be up, and in the mood to talk.  We discussed the time he saw Princess Diana in London, his service in the Korean war, and the new (to us) vehicle that Patrick and were planning to buy the next day.  He also loved talking about Natalie: how soon she was coming, what a blessing it was to think of her, and how well I am looking at 35 weeks pregnant (who could ask for a more charming grandfather?!).

Perhaps my favorite moment of the day was when my sister, Marissa, picked up a Swiss cowbell that was sitting on the TV tray next to Poppop's easy chair.  When she asked what it was, he replied, "My call bell."  With the mischievous look that we all know and love so well (and that we have not seen in a while), he picked it up and began clanging it relentlessly, waiting to see how long it took Mommom to jump up from her chair in the kitchen to come check on him.  He laughed.  It has been far too long since I've seen him play a trick on Mommom just to see us laugh.

Truly, it was nice to have some time with him and Mommom without having a house full of people there, as is usually the case with my popular grandparents.  Since it was a two hour drive for me to get to New Jersey, I had hoped for some quality, concentrated time with him without the distractions that a bunch of other people unwittingly bring . . . it's hard for me to get up there to visit, and everyone else gets to see him all the time since they live close by.  I was blessed to have what likely was my final visit be so intimate and private.

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