Thread: ARKIE 12 baits of Christmas contest. Three big prizes.....ends sometime Christmas day

Merry Christmas

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In life, I have learned that when you can't control the situation you can, at least find the humor in it. Several years ago my granddad, a Ret. Lt. Comdr. and fighter pilot in the US Navy, began developing dementia. Now, as the eldest Patriarch in our family, it was his honor to say grace on Christmas Eve. I will never forget his last grace before he went into the VA nursing home, 35 minutes long and covered everything from grace, to the stock market, recent news, war stories, and finally came full circle with an abrupt amen. We all said amen and went to eating like it was normal. He seemed so proud. Now, his mind is mostly gone, and there is only a small chance that he will recognize my face but even on his worst days, when I talk about his jet, his men, or his carrier, he lights up. After suffering a fall recently, he was pretty banged up, and on that particular day he was having trouble forming even small words and stuttering was the best he could manage. I leaned in and told him not to worry, it was a rough day and he just set his jet down hard on that deck. He looked up and a thin smile formed across his lips, as I got up to leave he looked at me and said "I put her down hard but I still caught the wire, that's why they call me ace" he abruptly sat back into his wheel chair as if he was being shot off the deck again and I knew he was back in the air.


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