Last night I had the pleasure of having Zachary Samuel Gluck, our 7 year old, firstt born grandchild, spend the night. From an early age it was clear to us that Zack was precocious. At the age of four, he began to ask me math questions that sent me scurrying for answers.
It was also at that age that he started to talk to me about God. “How do you know about God?“ I asked.
“Oh It is something I have always known”, he quietly replied. Zack is an old soul.
Before bedtime, we played some games. After clobbering me in Connect Four, I realized I was out of my league. He is able to think several moves ahead and approaches the game with a well thought out strategy.
I, on the other hand, fly by the seat of my pants. I decided to teach him how to play gin rummy,
feeling on much safer ground ,as I have played gin for many years and have some card sense. Perhaps it was
beginner’s luck, but after loosing three games of gin rummy, I suggest that we read together, thinking reading would be much gentler on my bruised ego. However, not having been in my condo for a year, I did not have many age appropriate books. I did find our wedding album on the shelf, June 23, 1966, clearly written the album's cover
This would it be a good opportunity to introduce him to his great grandparents and his great, great grandparents. He carefully examined all of the photos and asked who the two teenagers were. "That’s your Aunt Brenda and Uncle Frank", I told him. Brenda and Frank are my younger brother and sister, who were 15 and 16 at our wedding.. “Wow”! he exclaimed., “ I never would have never recognized them.”
After going through all of the pictures, I closed the album, and it was then that he asked me a question I was not prepared to answer. "Do you know where Pop (Neil) went when he died”? , he asked me.
I hesitated, and then fortunately had the wisdom to ask him what he thought.
“ Well, he said, I have been thinking about this all week, and the answer became obvious to me.
When Pop died, his heart broke into a million pieces and everyone he knew got a piece of his heart.”
Now it was my turn to say “ Wow! “
We do all have a piece of Neil inside of us. When friends came to visit, he would often take their hand
and hold it over his heart and say, “ I am imprinting you on my heart, so that I will have you with me wherever I am going, but maybe what he was really doing was making a list of who would receive a piece of his heart.
As long as we live, he will too.
Zachary, thank you for the gift you gave to both Pop and me this morning.
Your words made me cry happy tears. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me.
Bubbie /Cheryl
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