Three Ice Pops

 

My grandpa has been gone fifty-one years this month. When he died, he was a year older than I am now. One thing I remember about him was his odd way of resting. He’d squat all the way down with his feet flat on the ground. I wanted to be exactly like him. I tried to imitate his squat many times. I could balance a moment or two on the balls of my feet, but I always keeled over. My heels refused to reach the floor. Even when I mastered cartwheels and handstands, I couldn’t manage this. We always assumed Grandpa could do deep squats because his legs were so thin and long. But lots of shorter people can manage it. It’s why it’s sometimes called the “Slavic squat” or the “Asian squat.” These days my knees, hips, and belly prevent me from even trying. But I always wonder if I just didn’t persist hard enough.