The Boy and His Purse

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Me, and Me was fortunate enough to have lived a majority of his life with all four of his grandparents. When Me was in high school, some of his closest friends lost their grandparents, and some even lost their parents. Me didn’t understand how this was possible, for his grandparents were still very young. Wasn’t the California sun magical enough to keep everyone young?

Me was a peculiar child. He enjoyed climbing trees and cooing with the doves. Sometimes he wished he could fly and even asked God to sprout wings on his back. Another peculiar part of him was that he was extremely close to his grandparents. Especially the one he called Geegee. Me and Geegee seemed to go everywhere together and it was almost always his duty to keep track of her purse. If they went to the movies, the restaurant, or the store, it was Me who wanted to carry Geegee’s purse. She wasn’t apt to losing it, but he was extra sure it’d be safe if he had it with him. Young Me was wise beyond his years.

A few years passed, and Me became a teenager. Much of his life had changed, but he still loved his grandparents very much and would still be seen carrying his Geegee’s purse. If she would lose it, Me could find it again. He seemed to also have a talent for finding things that were lost. Me graduated high school and left for college. When he was finished with his first year of college, Me packed his bags and left on a volunteer mission to the other side of the world. Me and Geegee were so far away that the boy who carried the purse wasn’t able to help her anymore. This was very hard on Geegee. The boy who was once a phone call away, was now in the Indian Ocean speaking French.

It seemed that there was no one to make sure the purse stayed safe. When Me was a boy he used to chase things like butterflies and birds. Perhaps he was envious that they could float along without a care in the world. Occasionally, when Geegee felt most sad without Me to help her, a beautiful Monarch Butterfly would flutter along her path reminding her of the boy who was missing her too. After all, Me loved his grandparents very much.

A few years passed, and Me came home. He was so happy to see his family, but also very sad because they had changed much since his parent’s divorce shortly after his departure. He went back to college to finish his education as a writer. Things were much easier for Geegee, now that Me was only a phone call away again. Soon, Me grew up even faster, getting married and starting his own life. His family was still very important to him and seeing them happy made him happy.

But what about Geegee’s purse? Me didn’t live very close and so keeping track of Geegee’s purse wasn’t easy. He was only human after all. He would talk to Papa on the phone, who would usually start a conversation this way, “Guess what your mother did this week?” Since he viewed all his grandchildren as if they were his children, he always referenced Geegee as Mother. “She forgot her purse at the restaurant again. That’s the second time this month.” Could it be that Me’s best friend was becoming forgetful? Couldn’t be.

Me, now in his early twenties, was finding it hard to believe that his grandparents also aged while he did. They still seemed the same to him, so he hoped they would never grow old. But he knew that life didn’t work out that way. He had an idea to help Geegee remember her purse. Every time he called, he would ask if she knew where her purse was. Seemed simple enough. However, there was a huge flaw in this plan, what if he called after it was lost? There would be no way to retrace his steps to the lost purse.

Then, as if an idea lit up in his head, Me said, “To keep track of a dog, you put a leash on her, so why not do the same for your purse?” It seemed too simple and silly to be a good idea, but Me suggested it anyways. Needless to say, Geegee doesn’t lose her purse anymore. When she goes to the restaurant or the movies, she clips one end of her purse-leash to her side and the other to her waist. And so the boy is still able to keep track of his Geegee’s purse, even if he’s far far away.

Growing old stinks, but it doesn't have to be hard. Share this idea with your aging folks and grandparents, and they’ll thank you later. Just tell them I sent you. This is for my grandparents, which I am very grateful to still have in my life. May you continue to live long and keep your heads on tight. Me loves you all.

Derek (refindthetime)