Andy Bathgate RIIP: Bath gate

The Deaths in 2016 site lists under February 26: 

• Andy Bathgate, 83, Canadian Hall of Fame ice hockey player (New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings)

The surname "Bathgate" stands out for two reasons, the first being it's similarity to "Watergate", a word that cropped up in my recent (Feb 17) post, Elias Demetracopoulos RIIP (Part 2): See Sea Sling, note this excerpt from the post: 

The Deaths in 2016 site lists under February 17:

• Elias P. Demetracopoulos, 88, Greek journalist and activist, involved in the Watergate Scandal.

There are several things that are trade mark signatures: his twin age, 88; Watergate being a "political" scandal involving US President Nixon... and we've been on a bit of a "President" pattern-cluster theme, albeit the last one involves a Presidents dog.

 The second reason why "Bathgate" stands out, is a watershed moment that occurred with my 2 year old grandson, Easton, that involves the "bath", a little history is required:

For the last two years I've been worried that a bond with my grandson, Easton, who just turned 2 years old, is not forming as I would like.  I live over 100km away and so I don't get to see my son and his family very often, butt when I do, it's usually for an entire weekend and so it's quite intense, leaving my partner Cath and I totally drained afterwards.  The minute I come through their door my 7 year old granddaughter, Addie, runs straight in my arms, my grandson on the other hand tends to run in the opposite direction and into his mothers arms.  He's hesitant ... not sure if he likes Cath and I being around, because even though he loves to play with us, he also knows that when we're around, his parents tend to also take the opportunity to go out for a little "WOK(WithOut Kids) time", and THAT is what he doesn't like-- he's a big time mama's boy.  So for the past 2 years, whenever his parents left him, he screamed... sometimes for the entire duration they're gone!!  There have been many nights where he's sobbed himself to sleep in my arms.  Around the time that he was a year old however, I discovered that his love of water (bath) is so great that it can turn him around, deterring the watershed of tears.   

So one of the things that  I find important in "bonding", is eye contact, and this is something that Easton was not doing with me even when we're playing happily together doing all the things he loves.  The water shed "eye contact" moment came on the evening of his 2nd birthday party and his mother brought him in for a much needed bath to wash away icing that covered a good portion of his face and hair.  He was in the bath and I was playing with Addie and I heard what sounded like "Nanny, Nanny", this is what Addie calls me.  I didn't think any more of it, until his mother comes out, and with a puzzled look says, "he's calling for you".  My first thought was that, no... he must be trying to say something else, butt in I went and sat on the floor as I normally would, to watch him play.  This time though there was no playing, as I sat there on the floor, he did it-- he initiated eye contact... not just for a few seconds, this was for a very long time... his big blue "old soul"  eyes  stared in my own with such clarity and gentleness that brings me to tears as I now recollect.  Coming to the edge of the tub Easton then took his forefinger and touched the outside corner of my eye and proceeded to say "eyes".  And that was it, he then reverted to his two year old  self and  handed me his bucket of water.  So now you know why  "bathgate" is so meaning to me.  

Tou bee continued.