Today was my visit with my Uncle Andy, the one who kust turned 98 a week ago.
To help occupy our time I bought a bunch of art supplies, paintable coffee cups, canvasses, acrylics, brushes and palette etc... I figured we would do art, as I have no idea what to do with a 98 year old man who can only chit chat on LOUD and only so long. I also snuck in a hearthy serving of Chinese food, he had mentionned to me how he had so liked the chinese food he had at my house about 10 years ago (so much for memory and old age lol)
We spend 3 hours together in his room at the old age residence that he has renamed "Old Geezer Home"
funny old guy !
While there we spoke about a whole lot of things, his wife and son's passing, the horrid food at the cafeteria, the neighbor who is mentally deranged, his wedding and married life and much more. He had lots of little pieces of advice about love (be patient), business (sell it), regrets (makes each day count for if you think life is short, think again; it is a WHOLE lot shorter than that !), animals (love them) and travelling (do it).
Just before we began painting, he told me he was worried he would not be very good, since he could never draw. I reassured him that his talent was fine and that Picasso painted funny things and people pay millions for it. So I got all the colors out onto the palette and wet the brushes and laid the canvass and look to him to get started, but he just sat there waiting. So I asked him: Andy don't you want to start this ?
Sure he said, I am just waiting for you to remove all your clothes so I can paint you
(what a riot, I amost peed in my pants)
Finally we got to painting. While we painted our "squiggles" a few visitors came in; a nurse for medication, another with a fruit salad serving and then a priest with the Holy Communion. Andy received the host and thanked the priest, who made a cross on Andy's forehead with his thumb before leaving. You can all imagine that I was not about to talk any atheist stuff to Andy, at 98 he deserves peace of mind from busybodies like me
.
It was Andy who promptly turned to me and point blank asked: Do you believe in religion ? Under the spot and not wanting to rock the boat either way, I replied a non commital "well, so and so". Well he said to me, 'I DON'T. There is no GOD you know, no religion, nothing there at all'. So why the communion I asked. "Oh, he is a nice man and I don't want to send him away, that's all" he added.
I asked him how he came to that conclusion. He said that he had a hard life and little comforts and that he had understood when they went to the moon, that out there is space there really is nothing. No more air, just empty space and stars and planets very far away. That he said got him thinking and over the years he understood that it was all bogus and....he gave me a high five for that!
Then he added the most poetic words I ever heard him speak: "Life is like the seasons. Spring comes and then summer, fall and then winter, and nobody says "Spring don't come" or "Summer don't die". Nobody chooses to be born and nobody can escape death. Religion is not true Danielle, it is just people making things complicated because they do not understand" Then he added these beautiful words:
no wonder I like the guy
To help occupy our time I bought a bunch of art supplies, paintable coffee cups, canvasses, acrylics, brushes and palette etc... I figured we would do art, as I have no idea what to do with a 98 year old man who can only chit chat on LOUD and only so long. I also snuck in a hearthy serving of Chinese food, he had mentionned to me how he had so liked the chinese food he had at my house about 10 years ago (so much for memory and old age lol)
We spend 3 hours together in his room at the old age residence that he has renamed "Old Geezer Home"
funny old guy ! While there we spoke about a whole lot of things, his wife and son's passing, the horrid food at the cafeteria, the neighbor who is mentally deranged, his wedding and married life and much more. He had lots of little pieces of advice about love (be patient), business (sell it), regrets (makes each day count for if you think life is short, think again; it is a WHOLE lot shorter than that !), animals (love them) and travelling (do it).
Just before we began painting, he told me he was worried he would not be very good, since he could never draw. I reassured him that his talent was fine and that Picasso painted funny things and people pay millions for it. So I got all the colors out onto the palette and wet the brushes and laid the canvass and look to him to get started, but he just sat there waiting. So I asked him: Andy don't you want to start this ?
Sure he said, I am just waiting for you to remove all your clothes so I can paint you
(what a riot, I amost peed in my pants)Finally we got to painting. While we painted our "squiggles" a few visitors came in; a nurse for medication, another with a fruit salad serving and then a priest with the Holy Communion. Andy received the host and thanked the priest, who made a cross on Andy's forehead with his thumb before leaving. You can all imagine that I was not about to talk any atheist stuff to Andy, at 98 he deserves peace of mind from busybodies like me
.It was Andy who promptly turned to me and point blank asked: Do you believe in religion ? Under the spot and not wanting to rock the boat either way, I replied a non commital "well, so and so". Well he said to me, 'I DON'T. There is no GOD you know, no religion, nothing there at all'. So why the communion I asked. "Oh, he is a nice man and I don't want to send him away, that's all" he added.
I asked him how he came to that conclusion. He said that he had a hard life and little comforts and that he had understood when they went to the moon, that out there is space there really is nothing. No more air, just empty space and stars and planets very far away. That he said got him thinking and over the years he understood that it was all bogus and....he gave me a high five for that!
Then he added the most poetic words I ever heard him speak: "Life is like the seasons. Spring comes and then summer, fall and then winter, and nobody says "Spring don't come" or "Summer don't die". Nobody chooses to be born and nobody can escape death. Religion is not true Danielle, it is just people making things complicated because they do not understand" Then he added these beautiful words:
I want to end my seasons like I started them, free !
no wonder I like the guy
