My Grandfather, Abraham Rogow

I took this photo of my grandfather in 1968 and I developed it myself. He was about 77 years old at the time (and I was 21). He died nine years later in 1977.

Grandpa Abe was a strong family patriarch and a very colorful figure. Several fascinating stories about him have been published in books by my first cousin, Steven V. Roberts -- including From This Day Forward and My Fathers' Houses: Memoirs of a Family.

Among the many gifts he gave me was a 300 power, astronomical telescope that I received at the tender age of 12 years old. I think this gift symbolized his earnest love of knowledge and intellectual exploration. He was born in Bialystok (now in Poland, then in Russia) and grew up in an era when the major form of transportation was the horse and buggy. He lived to see a man walk on the moon.

Recently, I have been thinking about the last face-to-face conversation I had with my grandfather. He was about 85 years old at the time and suffering from some dementia. But, it struck me then that he was speaking from a very mystical perspective.

He started out by explaining to me that he had invented a new word to describe an immeasurable distance. "Not millions," he said. "Not billions, but 'illions.'" Then he went on to suggest that, upon his death, he would be 'illions' of miles away from me.

But, he explained, that if I ever wanted to contact him, I would be able to do so, almost instantly -- simply by tickling the palm of my hand. And, if I did that -- no matter how far away he was -- he would always be there for me.

What a gift!

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