In the quiet prairies of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Esmond Allcock was born in 1910. A man who is probably rarely seen in this generation, a gentleman!
He recently celebrated his 108th birthday, earning the title ‘The oldest man in Canada. ‘ 108 years on planet Earth also means experiencing many experiences and emotions. His journey is similar to all of us: playing different roles and fulfilling responsibilities.
Esmond is a father of 6, a great husband, and a grandfather of 17. The chain doesn’t stop here; he is also a great-grandfather of 36 and a great-great-grandfather of 12!
Most people don’t even know who their great-grandfathers are, or they mostly see them in pictures only. To her, he is her world! A ‘Great Grandpa’. This story isn’t of someone penning down half-remembered tales, but she experienced a life with her great-grandpa for over 30 years.
Lucky, isn’t she?
She can recall how she would crawl up to him, little hands reaching out for great grandpa, and she’d say the two words clearly, ‘Walk, Walk’. That is a core memory for her.
She misses being carried in his arms, seeing him smile, feeling safe, and parading around the room like a princess after growing older. She was his little best friend, best buddies!
After she got pregnant a few years later, great-grandpa couldn’t control his excitement, so he called every one of his children to tell the news. In her second pregnancy, he jokingly said to his daughter (the woman’s grandmother), ‘I have 71 descendants and none of them had a child after me!’
That was it. She and her husband knew exactly what they needed to do!
They were ready to honour the child with the gentle man’s name. The life he spent and the man that he was were exceptional. A clear decision was made at that very moment.
Her son Esmond was born on January 11, 2017, nearly one hundred and seven years after his great-great-grandfather, and the parents were sure they would start something special.
The parents packed him up as soon as the beautiful baby arrived, and little Esmond was ready to be introduced to the family. An introduction of little Esmond to the old Esmond!
At first, he did not recognise who she was because of age factors and weak memory, but she gently reminded him, although over time, Esmond was absorbed playing with the baby, beaming with pride.
While the family sat, something clicked and Esmond said, “You’re the walk walk girl?’
This was the moment; generations were connected by hearts and now by names, too!
He gently held the baby in his arms and repeatedly kissed and adored his tiny face and head. The tears were a sign of how special the moment was to Elmond. He said, ‘You don’t know what this means to me’ twice. Sharing this moment, the parents knew how they had done something right!
Seeing how a 108-year-old man connected with a few-month-old baby brought tears to everyone’s eyes, and their hearts were so full of love and joy. Although it has been a while since she met Esmond in person, Grandma religiously sends updates.
The family reunion is now long-awaited, and it is a story carved in the hearts of each one of them!
