Last weekend, Catherine and I went to Montreal to celebrate her grandfather, known by the family as 'Papapol,' turning 90 years old. What's amazing about him is that, at 90, he is still so full of energy and curiosity. His mind is sharp. Sure, he gets physically tired, but when he does, he takes a nap. He never seems to be burdened by his age. When I am 90, I hope I will be just like him.

Anyway, in the 7 or 8 years I've known Papapol, I've actually had very few one-on-one conversations with him. This is because his first language is French, and while we're able to talk about some things with my very broken French and his broken English, these conversations often break down eventually as we begin to not be able to find the words to express what we're wanting to say. At that point, we usually bring in Catherine or her mom to serve as an interpreter.

But you can tell a lot about a person without necessarily speaking the same language. That has always fascinated me - how people can still convey meaning to one another without the construct of language. Just by observing Papapol, just by listening to the inflection of his voice, watching how he interacts with others, and how they interact with him, this tells me a lot. It tells me he is warm and kind, that he is a man of strong moral and ethical principal who loves his family and places that above everything else. It tells me that he has a strong, dynamic personality and that he is smart and witty. It tells me that he's the kind of person you feel lucky to know.

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