My great grandmother is 98 years old and currently lives at one of Kearney’s Catholic nursing homes. Last thanksgiving I went with my family to see her for the first time in months and we sat with her as she ate her lunch. As the lunch crowd rolled in, a short bald man was wheeled to are table. He looked tired, like death was knocking at his door and he was going to answer any minute. Yet as we opened his eyes and looked around a smile bloomed across his face and his eyes began to sparkle. It was on this day that i met one of the most extraordinary people I’ve had the pleasure to meet. His name was Ralph. Even though Ralph had just turned 91, he had only been living in the home for 6 months, before that he lived at home with a nurse. As I started to talk and get to know him I was amazed by the stories he told. In are day and age Ralph would have been known as a player, he was only married once but lived freely through his young age and chose not to have any children. He went to hundreds of dances and informed me that when he lived in California he was involved with some pretty naughty things. I didn’t ask for details. He asked my sister if she was married or if she wanted to be to him probably ten times while we were there, he also told my aunt that he would like to ride her, but then decided it was better if they forgot he ever made that remark. Compared to many of the people in the home, Ralph was full of life. He loved the company of younger people and cherished every moment he had with us.
It wasn’t until I sat down to play the piano for my grandmother that I realized how lonely Ralph was. I started to play a song, and a few seconds into it I heard Ralph singing along. When I was done and returned to my seat, he was crying. It was after this moment that Ralph opened up to me and told me about how he used to play the trumpet, all the artists he met down in Memphis and the concerts he had been to. As I got up leave with my family I promised Ralph I would be back again. And I did, I came back once more with my grandma for my great grandmothers birthday. I immediately went and found Ralph. He reminded me while I was there that he didn’t have a lot of time left and after you come to the homes like these it’s all downhill. I did my best to reassure him but we both knew he was right. I promised him I would bring my sorority sister by to meet him and spend the afternoon with him. It was a promise I never kept to Ralph. On Thursday after class my mother called me to tell me that Ralph had passed away. I wanted to cry. When I called my grandma to tell her, she only sighed and gave me a piece of advice. “Hope, don’t take anything in this world for granted, when you’re young, time is on your side. You forget that not everyone has that. Each moment is precious and you only get to live in that moment once. He came into your life for a reason. Figure out why he was there.” I sat with this page for hours, blank, trying to figure out what to say about the man that had touched me so much, and that I hardly knew. Finally as I started to write I realized what that was.
My whole life I have been living for the future. Living for what was going to happen. I was always trying to speed up time, to race ahead of the clock to see what was on the other side. I never once lived in the moment. If I could take anything from meeting Ralph it is this. Life is happening now. Tomorrow will be whatever it will be whether your there to rush it along or not. Live for the moments because they are what really matter. It’s really the only thing you have in this life. When I return to Kearney after Spring break I plan on going and visiting Ralph’s stone. Ill thank him for everything he taught me in are short time together and pray that he’s off playing and singing with the angles.
People like Ralph are scattered among are lives to remind us to stop and smell the roses, because of Ralph I will do that. Because of Ralph I will remember each day why im here in this moment and not trying to jump ahead to the future.
So to Mr. Ralph, one of the funniest, kindest men I have had the pleasure to meet. Thank you for reminding me what life is truly about. I hope that I to can touch someone someday the way you have touched me, rest in peace.
It wasn’t until I sat down to play the piano for my grandmother that I realized how lonely Ralph was. I started to play a song, and a few seconds into it I heard Ralph singing along. When I was done and returned to my seat, he was crying. It was after this moment that Ralph opened up to me and told me about how he used to play the trumpet, all the artists he met down in Memphis and the concerts he had been to. As I got up leave with my family I promised Ralph I would be back again. And I did, I came back once more with my grandma for my great grandmothers birthday. I immediately went and found Ralph. He reminded me while I was there that he didn’t have a lot of time left and after you come to the homes like these it’s all downhill. I did my best to reassure him but we both knew he was right. I promised him I would bring my sorority sister by to meet him and spend the afternoon with him. It was a promise I never kept to Ralph. On Thursday after class my mother called me to tell me that Ralph had passed away. I wanted to cry. When I called my grandma to tell her, she only sighed and gave me a piece of advice. “Hope, don’t take anything in this world for granted, when you’re young, time is on your side. You forget that not everyone has that. Each moment is precious and you only get to live in that moment once. He came into your life for a reason. Figure out why he was there.” I sat with this page for hours, blank, trying to figure out what to say about the man that had touched me so much, and that I hardly knew. Finally as I started to write I realized what that was.
My whole life I have been living for the future. Living for what was going to happen. I was always trying to speed up time, to race ahead of the clock to see what was on the other side. I never once lived in the moment. If I could take anything from meeting Ralph it is this. Life is happening now. Tomorrow will be whatever it will be whether your there to rush it along or not. Live for the moments because they are what really matter. It’s really the only thing you have in this life. When I return to Kearney after Spring break I plan on going and visiting Ralph’s stone. Ill thank him for everything he taught me in are short time together and pray that he’s off playing and singing with the angles.
People like Ralph are scattered among are lives to remind us to stop and smell the roses, because of Ralph I will do that. Because of Ralph I will remember each day why im here in this moment and not trying to jump ahead to the future.
So to Mr. Ralph, one of the funniest, kindest men I have had the pleasure to meet. Thank you for reminding me what life is truly about. I hope that I to can touch someone someday the way you have touched me, rest in peace.
Hope
I'm not trying to sound mean, but I pretty much give up reading anything you write when I see "are" where you mean "our." I have started reading several of your posts, and as soon as I get into the material, there it is: "are." I'm sure you know the usage rules for the two words, but this is a problem you should focus on when you edit because I've seen it in more than one post.
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