“I would like you to have my Clivea plant”, said Wally, thoughtfully. Everything he does is carefully thought out ahead of time. “Would you like it?” Well, of course I would. This beautiful plant brings back fond memories of the South African exotic flowers that I grew up with. It is just spectacular.
I looked at him carefully. But no, the wine hadn't gone to his head. He seemed perfectly in charge of his faculties. |
I've noticed this wise friend has been divesting himself of different things and responsibilities that he doesn't want. It's not something sudden, he’s just carefully extending on the whole business of downsizing even more. I love his calculated planning of his future, his graceful acceptance of this time of life. Wally is 90 years old now. He figures it’s his time now! He can pick and choose among the things in life that give him maximum pleasure, and leave the rest by the wayside.
He’s quietly independent. He’s also one of the most gracious and kind people it's been my fortune to meet. Wally is my role model for how I want to be as I continue on in this journey of life. I couldn't imagine him ever being a grumpy old man. He’s such a patient, joyful person to know. I think of it as the Wally Effect.
Wally is an artist. He uses the most extreme technique of pointillism for his exquisite work. It demands endless patience and a very steady hand, both of which he has in spades. This video gives you some idea of what it's like to create astounding work using tiny dots.
I've written about Wally before. You can find more about himHERE. But that was before he reached the 9th decade of his life, so like a fine wine, he's just entering the stage of greatest maturity.
Thank you for reading.