"Mom, have you ever noticed how greedy GrandBob is?"
My Dad? The retired professor who like to scour thrift shops for khakis? The man who when you ask for gift ideas says he could use some socks or maybe a few of those colored Hanes t-shirts. The ones with a pocket if they aren't too pricey.
"Hmmm, how do you mean buddy?"
"Oh you know, how he is always asking for a list? Let me buy you this giant Lego set he says. Here let me send you a card and put money in it. Can I buy you a fancy new computer? He always wants to spend money on us and give us things."
He always seems to know when we need it most. Even when I don't mention the huge, unexpected transmission work on my minivan, a check shows up.
"He loves us and wants to help and give us things we love and need."
"Yeah, he and Gran are giving us college too."
"Yep, they sure are. College is very important."
Dad was a non-traditional student in the late 60s and 70s..a wife and two young daughters and a few years in the Army under his belt when he enrolled at the fancy private college. It was a far cry from the one room school house he attended in the Adirondacks. Mom worked her way thru the Teacher's College and played collegiate sports along the way. She put her sister thru nursing school. As she was dying and her sister emptied catheters, Mom joked that it was money well spent.
"I think you mean GrandBob is generous. He likes to share and help just like Gran did."
"Yeah, that's what I mean. Generous."
Conversation with my seven year old that happened when I told him he needs to work on his Christmas Wish List.
My Dad? The retired professor who like to scour thrift shops for khakis? The man who when you ask for gift ideas says he could use some socks or maybe a few of those colored Hanes t-shirts. The ones with a pocket if they aren't too pricey.
"Hmmm, how do you mean buddy?"
"Oh you know, how he is always asking for a list? Let me buy you this giant Lego set he says. Here let me send you a card and put money in it. Can I buy you a fancy new computer? He always wants to spend money on us and give us things."
He always seems to know when we need it most. Even when I don't mention the huge, unexpected transmission work on my minivan, a check shows up.
"He loves us and wants to help and give us things we love and need."
"Yeah, he and Gran are giving us college too."
"Yep, they sure are. College is very important."
Dad was a non-traditional student in the late 60s and 70s..a wife and two young daughters and a few years in the Army under his belt when he enrolled at the fancy private college. It was a far cry from the one room school house he attended in the Adirondacks. Mom worked her way thru the Teacher's College and played collegiate sports along the way. She put her sister thru nursing school. As she was dying and her sister emptied catheters, Mom joked that it was money well spent.
"I think you mean GrandBob is generous. He likes to share and help just like Gran did."
"Yeah, that's what I mean. Generous."
Conversation with my seven year old that happened when I told him he needs to work on his Christmas Wish List.
2 comments:
Oh, this silly language we call English -- greedy, generous . . . if they start with the same letter, why aren't they interchangeable? :)
If only everyone practiced greed that way.
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