A Cloud in the Sky

Maybe it was a professor, a friend or an uncle. A mentor who understood you and guided you to understand your own life. For Jake Newfield that person was Kal, his Grandfather. Perhaps you, like Jake, lost track of life’s meaning as you progressed in your career and developed as an adult. Perhaps you wish now you could go back and have the chance to speak with that mentor. As Jake learned, Kal's life wasn't easy; he grew up in extreme poverty in Manhattan during the height of the depression, and he lost his only son. When Kal and his wife Ethel moved into an assisted living facility near Boston, Jake realized that Kal was in the final stages of his life and began visiting Kal every Sunday evening. The weekly meetings continued for almost three years, and changed the lives of both Kal and Jake. While cleaning out Kal's old apartment, Jake found a journal that Kal had written over fifty years ago while in a psychiatric hospital. The journal entries, combined with Kal's own recollections, enabled Jake to get a clear understanding of Kal's past. In doing so, Jake was able to understand his own life more fully, and reach conclusions about life's meaning. Not everyone spends time thinking about what they want out of life. Instead, they live it, look back, draw conclusions about what they did right or wrong, and close the curtain. Through his discussions, Jake learned Kal's past, his regrets, and his secrets, which made a significant impact on how he views relationships and life.