Tuesday, June 06, 2006
104 years old!!
My Father In Law lost his room mate at the rest home today. Henry was 104 years old. 104!! When this man was born, Teddy Roosevelt was one year into his presidency. Thomas Edison had just lost control of his motion picture patents. Edward VII was crowned king of England. The Flatiron Building, generally acknowledged as the first modern skyscraper, was completed in N.Y. City. He's been around to see the birth of flight, saw the moon landing, and watched the space shuttle soar back to earth. He was born the year the second Boer war ended. He saw the "Great War," WW2, and the Korean war. This man has seen a LOT of history pass before his eyes. 104 years. Man. I'll hit 53 this year and consider myself quite lucky to have gotton that far. Henry was reasonably alert, right to the end, but had slowed down quite a bit in the past couple of months. I believe he figured he'd seen enough. He lost interest in food, and wasn't watching much television any more. I'd sort of gotten to know him since the FIL moved in to share a room with him a couple of years ago. He was quiet, didn't talk much. I think he'd pretty much said everything he needed to say.
God speed and rest in peace, Henry. Hope your next journey is a happy one.
Arthur Schopenhauer, Paregra und Paralipomena
"A man must have grown old and lived long in order to see how short life is."
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My Ma's 95, nearly bent double, but still ticking. Henry and her are truly legends within their times. You take care of yourself.
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