Arnie Kanter

Many folks think that storied stuff needs to be old.  Hogwash.  In fact, I think it’s our duty to create new storied stuff, or one day there will be none.

It’s not always easy to know what will become storied stuff; but sometimes it’s a no-brainer.  Our youngest granddaughter, Phoebe, recently completed her freshman year at Loyola.  My wife and I were out of town when she left for the summer, but she stayed at our condo the night before flying home and left us some stuff that she’ll pick up when she returns in August. 

On my desk, she left the bobble head figure we’d given her of Sister Jean, the 103-year old superfan and chaplain of the Loyola Ramblers basketball team. With it, Phoebe left a note saying that Sister Jean’s doctors had determined that, at her age, Sister Jean should not be traveling, so Phoebe was leaving her in my care for the summer, instead of  taking her back to Atlanta.

After the summer, Phoebe will return to Loyola, and reclaim Sister Jean.  I’ll give her back, a bit reluctantly.   I’ll miss having her on my desk and being able to top Sister Jean gently on the head each morning, watch her bobble and think fondly of my granddaughter.  If I do a good job, maybe Phoebe will let me take care of Sister Jean for the next couple summers, too.  I hope so.

But, eventually, Sister Jean will return to Phoebe, where she belongs, with the memories and stories of Phoebe’s college years embedded firmly in Sister Jean’s smiling face and bobbling head.  I hope that Phoebe’s smile will be just a little bit broader, looking at her nun and remembering her relationship with her grandparents.

Go Ramblers!