By Gary Poole
Special to the Post
I always wondered if it would happen to me. You hear about it all the time.
It’s always the same old story. Older man falls in love with a much younger female, loses his concentration, doesn’t care about his job, sits around with a silly grin on his face until his wife gets suspicious and asks him what he’s daydreaming about. She starts complaining that it’s like she’s not even in the room sometimes.
It’s the same plot they’ve used in Hollywood a thousand times to entice people into the seats of the local theater. It’s no wonder so many of us get caught up in this type of situation.
You can’t hide it, because everyone notices it when you’re around her, or even thinking about seeing her. Your whole demeanor changes just in anticipation of being together for even the briefest of time. Her smell, her eyes, the way she looks at you, everything about her makes you smile. You learn to survive on short visits or a stolen weekend together every now and then. Then you realize that’s not enough, and you try to spend more time together until people are starting to see this is something that’s probably beyond your control.
Her parents start complaining that she’s spending more time with you than she is even with them. You can’t help yourself. For someone as beautiful and lovely as her to pay this much attention to you fills all those empty spaces you think you have inside yourself, and it’s like you suddenly remember what it’s like to fall head over heels in love. You also realize all those dreams you’ve been dreaming lately about moving to the beach or somewhere and taking it easy are coming to a sudden stop. What if she needs you and you’re not there?The first time she said “Paw Paw,” I knew from that moment my life was more or less controlled by whatever her needs may be. To even think of not being there for her, should the need arise, is at most a passing thought. Her deep brown eyes have locked their gaze into my conscience forever. Her reliance on me and the others around her to provide her most basic needs has made me realize I have no other real mission in life, other than to be there whenever she cries, “Paw Paw.”
To some that may seem like a small role to play in the whole scheme of things. To me it’s just carrying on the legacy of love passed on to me by those who loved and raised me. The only thing I ever knew was absolute love and that there was always someone around I could depend on, regardless of what I may have done.
It’s the only thing you really own in life. The foundation on which your whole life is built. Something strong enough to last throughout your lifetime, over all the hills and through all the valleys that this world can test you with. I could go on and on about all the feelings associated with the love I feel for my sweet little granddaughter, Caroline.
It’s mostly personal, though, and all I really want to say is that you’ve made an old man very happy and made me realize true love once again. For that, my little darling, I will always adore you.
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Gary Poole lives with his wife, Vicki, in Gold Hill. His new mission in life is to be the best grandpa possible. He’ll have another chance on Dec. 17. Caroline’s little sister, Annabelle Marie Poole, is expected on that date.