My grandfather died when I was fourteen. He was a stern old man, but I loved to listen to him talk about his travels and the places he visited. I credit him with my love of history and travel.
The years passed and my grandmother died, too. My parents had many of the things left behind including my grandfather's glasses. One day, in my late forties, I noticed them and tried them on. To my surprise, they were perfect for my eyes, which were aging, along with me. I wore them for a few years, until my eyesight grew worse and I had to get a prescription for bifocals. My grandfather's glasses went into a drawer.
Finally, three years ago, my eyes developed cataracts. Those were removed and the eye surgeon replaced the lenses. Now all I needed was a pair of inexpensive reading glasses, which I bought in bulk. I think I have about a dozen of them all over the house. They work fine, but the other night, I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep.
I reached over to get a novel and my reading glasses. The glasses weren't there. I searched around to see if I could find another pair and opened a drawer. There were my grandfather's glasses. I had forgotten all about them. I tried them on and to my surprise, after all these years, they are once again a perfect fit for my eyes.
I have other pairs of glasses, but I think when I read history, I'll use these in honor of my grandfather.
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