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Max Leavitt: It Was A Life Like This

 

Retirement

Max and Jennie to Paul 3/67

Jennie tells Paul that her health is actually good. (Seemingly, Paul has already heard that her health is deteriorating.) We get a rare treat: an incident of frank playfulness between Jennie and Max, even if the implication of monster is unclear to us.

JENNIE: Forgive me if I make a mistake. In my mind, I think, things we used to do, like write letters. But now, you know the talking is a little different. I like it much better, you know, than just to write a letter.

MAX: No more monster?

JENNIE: No, no more monster. Did you hear Papa? "No more monster?" He's making fun of me. Well, let him make it. For another hundred and twenty years, I'll accept it.

Paul, first thing I want [to mention] is my health. My health is good, I have nothing to complain. Wherever Papa expresses to you a little about it, you know, it's me! And if I will feel bad and if I would, you know, too much aches and pains, I would talk about it. But you talk about somebody else, not long how real these feelings are, so it's a little bit out of place. So don't worry about me. I'm not, God forbid, a sick person. I'm far from it. I feel much better than I ever felt before. Of course every once in awhile you have a little bit of discomfort. But you have to allow for that. We're not anymore twenty years old. And you know, we're getting older, and things change, so adjust ourselves to those things. Especially now, we are away from all of you children, we have just the two of us. I have Papa. Papa has me. It should last long years, nothing better.

IMAGE: Max and Jennie, ca. 1918

 
Notes: for another hundred and twenty years:Jennie alludes to the traditional Jewish blessing, May you live until 120

Page Last Updated: 22-Nov-2025
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