From Ariel in Honor of His Grandpa
Following is a copy of the letter from Ariel in memoriam of his grandpa, Tom Tate, read for him by Brent Weston at the gathering on April 26, 2006:
As children we tend to idealize our elders, and then our first (and harshest) lesson in life is when we realize that they aren't perfect ... Just human. In my special long-distance relationship with Grandpa this never happened -- he was always my unshattered ideal to aspire to. For me he was:
Honorable
Pragmatic
Strict with others -- but demanded even more of himself
Creative
Artistic
A mechanical genius
A pilot -- and
A Gentleman.
The times we spent together in just a few short trips -- spanning a lifetime -- were always magical for me. I could never get enough of talking with him about his experiences -- or drilling him with infinite questions, that sometimes caused him to pull the few hairs on his head that he had! And I will never forget that look of despair on his face when trying to explain something terribly complicated to me as a child.
Though being around him could sometimes be daunting -- and he was not one to show his feelings -- I will never forget how touched I was to see his softer side, and to realize how much he actually cared. Once, when fishing together on a tiny rowboat, he accidentally caught his barbed hook in my scalp while casting. It was really no big deal -- but he got so excited and worried with regret and fear over me that he practically cried ... For me this was all the proof I needed of his love.
Now that person -- who for me was like a rock -- is gone.
And as I get older I see more and more of him in myself and my children. This both pleases and irritates me -- but mostly I'm sorry that I will not have the chance to introduce my children to this amazing man they so closely resemble.
With love and affection, your grandson,
Ariel
Honorable
Pragmatic
Strict with others -- but demanded even more of himself
Creative
Artistic
A mechanical genius
A pilot -- and
A Gentleman.
The times we spent together in just a few short trips -- spanning a lifetime -- were always magical for me. I could never get enough of talking with him about his experiences -- or drilling him with infinite questions, that sometimes caused him to pull the few hairs on his head that he had! And I will never forget that look of despair on his face when trying to explain something terribly complicated to me as a child.
Though being around him could sometimes be daunting -- and he was not one to show his feelings -- I will never forget how touched I was to see his softer side, and to realize how much he actually cared. Once, when fishing together on a tiny rowboat, he accidentally caught his barbed hook in my scalp while casting. It was really no big deal -- but he got so excited and worried with regret and fear over me that he practically cried ... For me this was all the proof I needed of his love.
Now that person -- who for me was like a rock -- is gone.
And as I get older I see more and more of him in myself and my children. This both pleases and irritates me -- but mostly I'm sorry that I will not have the chance to introduce my children to this amazing man they so closely resemble.
With love and affection, your grandson,
Ariel
Comments