Ollie and Me: In 20 years he’ll be one of my best friends

Grandson Ollie arrives at out house four days per week before 9 a.m. and - like a typical “free-and-a-half” year old - his engines are in top gear as soon as he walks or bounds through the door.

He likes doing just about everything my wife and I suggest and enjoys participating in gym and karate activities planned by his parents.

He organizes some activities on his own and invites me to play.

For example, he loves to arrange six banana boxes in a row and take the train to Halifax. I sit behind him, but have noticed it’s getting harder to get in and out of a banana box than it used to be.


He loves to join pieces of wood together with nuts and bolts while I sit on the couch beside him, but it’s getting harder for me to stay awake while he performs the same routine a dozen times.

However, since I make the effort to play he thinks I’m the greatest.

(At least I think he does).

As well, he usually seems pretty eager to join me in some of my own routines: Together we feed the birds, chase the squirrels away, sweep the workshop floor, pick weeds and water the tomatoes just about every morning.

Occasionally, when I look down the road in my mind’s eye, I think he’ll make a great mate in the shop in 20 years. He seems at home there. So do I.

Maybe after his last class at the university (unless he becomes a Fireman Sam) he’ll stop by to see what I’m doing, and join me for ‘Happy Hour’ at five o’clock.

We should have lots to talk about.

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