The 80's would bring one of your sons to the top and drag the other to his lowest. They would eventually stop communicating altogether near the end of the 90's. Unfortunately when the parents are feuding, the children feel the impact as well. The 1990's would push once close cousins to barely seeing each other except on Christmas Eve. Who can help but wonder what would have been had grandpa not left and had your sons kept in contact. Perhaps it has to do with the sickly crimes committed by one and the other simply protecting his own family. I guess we shall never know the truth of the matter.
The 1990's would see a steady separation of family get togethers and celebrations. Aunt Collette would also add the final two grandkids to your life in the 90's. It was however just the beginning of the great grandkids being born. To date you have probably nearly 20 great grandkids. Who would have ever thought you'd be 84 years old with upwards of 20 great grands. The even more amazing thing is that you are still capable of doing the same tasks that you had done with your grandkids 30 years prior. It truly is simply remarkable. Here I am at 36 years old and I still remember you picking me up from preschool over 30 years ago.
The mid 90's brought big change. I remember when you handed over your home of almost 30 years to Aunt Co. It was off to the apartments for a couple years before finally settling in at the rental home on Sunnyside Drive. This would also be my home for much of the mid to late 90's and early 2000's. Had I not had a place to stay with you during my teens and early twenties, who knows what would have possibly happened to me. Not one time did you ever make me feel unwanted or unwelcome no matter what the issue was that I was going through. We both always thought it comical when my juvenile probation officer would send me to live with you as a punishment for violating probation. So many good times we had together when I was on house arrest sitting at the table on Sunnyside watching the peculiar neighbors on the street. Probably the most memorable being the idiot foreigner across the street wearing his speedos while up on the roof in 115 degree weather watering the roof.
Who would have thought that well into your sixties heading into the new millennium that you'd still be working? I'm sure many people felt pity or sorry that you had to work into your seventies. The truth of the matter, and I'm sure you agree, is that keeping active and working is what kept you going strong all of these years as a senior. Again it's simply remarkable the activity level that you have kept up through your 60's, 70's and 80's. When most people are retired, sick and dying between their 60's and 80's, you simply got healthier. It must have been astounding for you to think that you were leaving the 1900's behind for a new millennium. I'm sure you never could have imagined as a little girl in the 1930's living into the new millennium.
YOU ARE READING
Memoirs to Athena
Short StoryA middle aged father of four reflects back on his childhood and the tremendous impact his grandmother had on him while partially raising him throughout his troubled childhood into adulthood.
