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daily snapple fact #27
A ball of glass will bounce higher then a ball of rubber.

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doug at freewayslowdance.com

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Goo Po.

My Grand-aunt is dying. I got a call today from her daughter, my 2nd cousin, to tell me that she went to the hospital today. She's got some sort of pancreatic blockage and some liver problems. Her face is all yellow, and she's less than 60 lbs. I drove up to Alhambra to see her today, this woman who essentially raised me from ages 1 to 5, who I remember cooking for me while I sat in the kitchen. Who lost the tip of a finger making me wonton soup when I was 5. Who I have not visited nearly enough in the past 6 years. This woman who was so much to me and is now skin, bones and some rapidly failing organs.

Funny thing: She's the happiest I've seen her in years. She recently has only been able to eat very specific foods, for various health reasons. Now she's eating whatever-the-hell she wants to eat. Today she had fried fish and some sort of custard. Yes, she was in the bathroom for a half hour or so afterwards, but .. man was she smiling when she was eating that custard. Big ol' mostly toothless grin.

The doctor gave her an option to have an operation to prolong her life a few months. She's 86 now and she declined, explaining that it's her time, and it's not worth the hassle and she'd rather just stay at home and eat the things she hasn't been able to this past year or so.

Life is funny that way, isn't it? You start out with so many dreams and aspirations, you want to be rich, and famous and, in the end, what's it for? Does it make you any happier than a bowl of custard? To know that, after all the years and turmoil and worrying and trouble, finally, you'll get some peace and quiet.

I don't even know if there's an afterlife; in my system of belief there's a more-than-good chance that she'll end up as nothing but food for worms and a few memories in my mind. But forever etched into my thoughts is that image of 60 lb Goo Po, so frail and small, smiling at me while chomping down on a spoonful of yellow custard.

I always thought this sort of phrase was the sappiest thing in the world, but Goo Po, I'm going to miss you.

posted by Doug 8:00 PM

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