«You kind of adopted our whole neighborhood of kids, these are your grandkids,» said one of his neighbors and mothers of the children who benefited from his kind invitation, alluding to the fact that the elderly Keith Davison, despite having adult children, has no biological grandchildren.
It all began in 2016, when Keith Davison, now 94 years old and a resident of Minnesota, lost his wife, Evy, to cancer after 66 years of marriage. After several days of great sadness and many nights of mourning, he was invaded with a strange peace and quiet that seemed to be a respite from the grief he was still suffering. «You cry a lot. That’s just the way it is, because she’s not here,» Keith told ABC10.
It was in those months that he started drinking, but late in the first of 2017, this retired judge decided to install an in-ground pool in his backyard and invite all the neighborhood kids.
ABC10
He got so tired and depressed by the silence that he realized he needed some noise and joy to get out of the grieving hole he was in. And there’s basically nothing louder and happier than children. So, the day came when he first proposed his idea to someone, to his neighbor Jessica Huebner. Although many thought he was joking when he said he would put a pool in his backyard for the children, the reality was different, and since its opening in July 2019, it is common to see it full of little ones swimming and diving.
ABC10
The most regular visitors are Jessica and her four children. This mother is grateful for the happiness this 94-year-old widower brought to the neighborhood. At almost 10 meters long and up to 3 meters deep in some parts, this pool with a diving board has become a welcomed addition in a city where there was no outdoor public pool.
It’s a new place for an afternoon of fun and sports that has as one of its rules that every child must be accompanied by a parent or grandparent.
ABC10
At almost 100 years old, Keith Davison has no grandchildren. His only offspring are three adult children who have yet to have children to call him grandfather. However, in a way, these dozen or so kids having fun on the trampolines and playing volleyball in the pool have become part of his family since, ultimately, he sees them every day from his lawn chair in the shade.