My grandpa just turned 92 years old last week. He has always been a prominent and consistent person in my day-to-day life, but over the last few years, I have definitely been more intentional in creating the time to be present at their home.
There are many similarities between a toddler and a very elderly person. They view the world in wonder, they want to know why and how something works, they ask a lot of questions, and they need a little help getting around so they don’t hurt themselves.
The HUGE difference between the two is that the 92-year-old has stories behind everything they see. The life that has been lived from 1932 to present day 2024 truly seems unreal. The leaps and bounds that technology has grown from the simplistic view of life that is trying to make it’s way back, and he has seen it all. Literally.
As we sat outside on the back patio last night I learned an array of history in just the surroundings he could see.
The doghouse, a project that he bought from a neighbor’s sale and fixed up by painting the sides a bright red to match the barns, with white trim and shingles that match the roof of the house.
The metal railing that is actually anchored into the concrete of the back porch that I have seen for the past 37 years and never knew that it was an old headboard to a bed frame that his uncle had originally used as fencing to keep lambs in.
The brick chimney that has been a backdrop for numerous family pictures with a lone brick in the middle that has two round grooves that stick out. From a quick perspective, it looks as if someone took a lot of time to make sure it was included in the design, but it was actually just a brick that he found in the shop and brought out to the guys who were building the chimney and asked them if they could use it, and now it is a centerpiece and focal point.
The fact that there was no contract written up on the costs of building the chimney, just a conversation between people and a payment once the work was completed.
How the old wire fence and little gate that used to go across the yard came from an old family farm and is now used to showcase a variety of flowers and plants and shade for Stripe the border collie.
How if he could go back and build the back porch again he would take it out another 3-4 feet because now that it’s used to pull the car up on the sides are a bit narrow for his walker.
How the old cast iron pot that is now filled with dirt and flowers, and has been as long as I can remember, used to be used as a cooking pot for his family.
How he still wonders if he would have trimmed the peach tree if it might have grown fruit. He keeps watch on a branch that fell on the shop roof, wondering if it will ever actually fall and hit the ground.
His eyes have seen so many things, yet he still sees the world in stories and in wonder. Amazed by how God puts everything together. While his body is failing him in some areas and his mind even plays some tricks on him from time to time, he can still paint a picture of how things have come to be what they are today, and I love listening.
Grandma might be the writer in the family, but he’s definitely helped develop some of her stories.
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