August at Gleneagles – August 2022
Dear James,
Seventeen years ago, when Grandma Gizzy and I first purchased the land that would eventually become Gleneagles, we decided that we wanted to transform this beautiful, wooded lot into a place that our three sons would love and cherish – a place that they would want to share with their friends, and eventually, a place that they would want to return to with their families. Based on the number of times our boys have brought their high school and college friends here, we think we have succeeded. But none of those visits compare to the visit we recently experienced from you and your parents this past week.
Quite frankly, many of the features that we included in the design of Gleneagles – the beach, (now known as “Big Water Beach”), the in-ground spa/pool (now known as “Little Water”) – were for smaller children. And hopefully someday some of those small children would be our grandchildren. Yes, James, your grandmother and I are planners. And this past week made all that planning pay off.
The past two and a half years – the time of COVID – have been a very strange time for most people. Gizzy and I have been fortunate during this time for many reasons, one of which is that we both have avoided contracting COVID. But recently, more of our friends have been getting the virus. And so, we both decided to just live our lives and if we got the virus, we would just deal with it. This past week we had to deal with it.
The Tuesday before your scheduled visit, I attended the local High School convocation as a volunteer. That Friday, I started feeling strange. I thought I was coming down with a cold. When you arrived later that evening, I was already in bed. The following morning, I tested for COVID with a negative result. So, I the “cold theory” seemed plausible. Although I did not feel well, I did spend some time with you, and your mom and dad. Your uncle Jack and Liv even delayed leaving for their beach vacation so that they could spend Saturday morning with you. So, we had the whole gang here, including Carter. Later that day, your family left to attend a wedding and would return on Sunday to stay with us for the rest of the week.
The next day I felt worse. So, I tested again. The test came back positive, despite being fully vaccinated and having had the booster shot. So, we phoned your parents and told them that they could either go back to Boston, or they could stay at Gleneagles, and I would quarantine. They decided to stay. And everyone is so happy that they did. Later that week I was feeling much better and could come out of quarantine. But to be safe, I kept my distance. In addition, Bridget’s brothers and their young families were able to visit from Charlottesville. By Friday, Big Water Beach was hopping with little people! I always dreamed that one day the beach that we built all those years ago would contain lots of little ones splashing in the shallow water and building sandcastles. And Friday that dream became a reality.
James, I must admit that the week would have been much more fun for me if I did not have to isolate and eat my meals alone. However, I was able to be near enough to you outdoors all week to watch you play on Big Water Beach and enjoy the fountains in Little Water. And that brought me a great deal of joy, as did watching Gizzy and your aunts and uncles play with you.
But my greatest joy was watching your mom and dad with you enjoying the place that we not only built for ourselves, but also for them, and for you. And COVID, despite its ability to take away my energy and vitality for a brief period, could not take away that joy. And despite not being able to hug you, or anyone else, the entire week, I would not trade this week for anything. If someone told me that the only opportunity to spend several weeks a year at Gleneagles with my entire family was to agree to have this “COVID Thing” during their visit, I would not hesitate to have this COVID Thing. That is how much your visit meant to me.
I did find myself late Thursday evening hugging our dog, Emmy Lou. I just missed having physical contact. Maybe seeing you get all those hugs and kisses from your family made me miss it more. I believe one thing that the past two and a half years has taught all of us is that people need physical contact as a part of social connection. And when you cannot have it, you crave it even more. So, I think I now have a better understanding as to why little people like you need lots of hugs and reassurance. And quite frankly, maybe all of us could benefit with more of that. And maybe that would make the world a better place.
In the meantime, no one else in our family is showing any symptoms of COVID. Let’s hope and pray that I did not transmit this nasty little bug to anyone else in our family.
With lots of hugs and affection,
Your Papa Johnny
