I think we all notice how our interests and ambitions change as we get older. The things I loved to do a forty, for example, were markedly different to the things I loved to do when I was twenty.
I’m not quite there yet, but I can only imagine that this feeling is heightened when one begins to approach the end of their natural life-span.
Of course, some things never really change, like love for one’s own family. If anything, it feels like the older you get, the more you really appreciate the bonds and connections you share with your loved ones – perhaps that’s why so many people are so immensely proud and delighted to become grandparents.
The idea that your genes and legacy are living on through future generations really is enough to allow most people to grow old with a degree of contentment. In the case of Canadian Esmond Allcock, it was even enough to make his heart melt at the grand old age of 108.
Back in 2018, Esmond was well on the road to becoming Canada’s oldest citizen. As per reports, he was born all the way back in 1910 and lived a long and happy life.
First a doting husband, Esmond became a father and then grandfather, before eventually adding great-grandfather to the list. Over three decades, he was a constant presence in the lives of his descendants, doing his best to stay in contact with everyone.
When his great-granddaughter, Jenna Lehne, fell pregnant, she decided to do Esmond a real honor by naming her son after him. Baby Esmond came into the world with something very few of us have: a living great-great-grandparent.
Perhaps surprisingly, none of Esmond’s 70 descendants had been named after him up until that point, so Jenna and her husband wanted to buck the trend in the most beautiful way.
Following the birth, Jenna took her newborn son to see his great-great grandfather. Sadly, though, due to his advanced age, Esmond didn’t recognize her.
“When we arrived, he wasn’t sure who I was. He knew who my grandparents were, but he wasn’t too sure about me,” Jenna told LoveWhatMatters.
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Even so, Esmond couldn’t take his eyes off of this precious young baby. Then, in the middle of this trans-generational meeting, the 108-year-old suddenly remembered Jenna as the little girl he had helped teach how to crawl and later walk.
According to Jenna, all Esmond kept repeating thereafter was: “You don’t know what this means to me.”
Watch Esmond and Esmond’s encounter below:
Naturally, the encounter meant a great deal to Jenna, who considered herself blessed to still have her great-grandfather in her life.
At the time, Jenna added: “Once the snow melts, we’ll be on our way to visit him again. It will be great-great-grandpa Esmond, little Ez, and the ‘Walk Walk’ girl.”
Sadly, Esmond passed away on March 22, 2018, not long after getting the chance to meet his namesake, but the memories made on that special day will remain forever.
What a beautiful story – we can only imagine how much this meant to Jenna. Baby Esmond will now grow up knowing that he had the chance to meet his oldest relative, born more than 100 years before he was.
Please, share this article to say rest in peace to Esmond.
