talking to my brother...

... before they took me back to the airport where I would board a flight to return to Atlanta.

I heard him say back in  2009 that he did not ever plan to move south. His intention was to stay close to where his adult sons lived, as he desired to be nearby in the hope that he would have grand children. Saying that he knew his sons missed out on being physically close to their grandparents, like we were in our younger years. It made him sad to think they did not enjoy spending more time with grandparents, doing routine, mundane things throughout the year, as he recalled doing as a kid. He would make the effort to get sons to connect with both sets of grandparents when they could, but that generation was at such a distance, visits were limited to a week or so each summer, divided between south GA and central AL.

He said he had so many memories of times with grandmothers: spending the night, and going with them to church on Sunday mornings, just being together, doing the things grands and little people do. The granddad had a workshop that my brother as a kid loved to tinker in, poking  around, pounding nails, doing goofy things little boys do. 'Helping' Pa with whatever project he had going on, repairs, doing odd jobs, learning how to be a guy, from a granddad who loved to have him around.

He is getting his wish. Has two little grands he and sweet wife enjoy spending time with, helping parents when they get in a bind. Like needing a caregiver when one cannot go to day care, or just another body to be available to pick up or deliver a kid. Being there, close by, conveniently located minutes away, to enjoy seeing little ones often and watch them grow, learn, develop, turn into real people.