My Hero

With an athlete body my 102 years old grandfather is one of my heroes the real example of a good life lived and still being lived. I have recently come from visiting him in the village and boy hasn’t he inspired me. Indeed he is the perfect example of the phrase; if you don’t use it you lose it and that’s what has kept him going through the years. He engages his mind every single day of his life and that has made him sharp up to today.

Every morning by 7am or thereabout (always used to wake up after him) he rises and goes to work like he would in his youthful days. His business is his life, he runs a small kiosk by his house where he sells small household stuff, with pen and paper he calculates the cost and returns the correct change to his customer’s. When stock is over he calls someone and orders the goods that he needs. With the little money that he earns he is able to buy foodstuff and other household goods for his wife and dependants yer yer he has two crazy sons who have never grown up.

No one understands better than him that you are what you eat. Breakfast and just the right amount of lunch does it for him for he clearly understands the principle of eating breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and supper like a Servant to keep your body in good shape and with only one leg my grandfather is indeed pretty fit. He never whine’s for its foolish to whine over things you cannot change one of his eyes is partially if not totally gone but he has learnt to make maximum use of what he has……. the complete opposite of my grandmother who has both her legs and one ailing eye but cries over it day and night and refuses to do anything citing she cant see and sadly she is growing senile at a fast she simply aint using it!
He cherishes his afternoon nap and rest but above all silence is golden and invaluable to him and when he see’s that those around him are interfering with his peaceful thoughts he chases them away or locks himself up……healing power of meditation.
Never does he forget to give thanks in the mornings and also before he goes to bed but also before each and every meal he takes for he understands the power of prayers.

Sadly he says that he feels like his blood is drying out and he is waiting for the day when the angels will come and take him, well he has already done his thanks giving mass and slaughtered a cow to share with all his descendants (funnily more than once). What I learn from him is that you are as productive and successful as you choose to be so go forth and chase your dreams you only have yourself to blame if you don’t make it.

(am glad to be carrying some of those genes :))