A Moment of Clarity A Book by Terry Theocharides

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The book is about a father-son relationship as seen through the eyes of the son during the final days of the father’s life, and it goes on to discuss the events in the days and months that followed. The opening chapters describe the decisions the family had to make during the father’s final hospitalization, the funeral with the emotions it invoked and the challenges the son faced in coping with the grief of the loss. The title of the book stems from the family’s experience of witnessing the father’s attempt to break out of the comatose condition he was in. This triggered the son’s motivation to find meaning in what occurred, as he delves into the lessons one can draw from witnessing the passing of a loved one.

The narrative uses a reflective tone to describe milestones in the family’s life. It’s filled with humor and nostalgia for the past, while trying to come to grips with times of discord. The conclusion of the book strikes an optimistic tone with an account of the son’s perspective about grieving and aging 15 years after the Moment of Clarity occurred.

I remembered Yiayiá’s quiet demeanor, her sweet smile, and her dear friend Kiria Sophia, a short, stout, vivacious woman whose antics were legendary. Kiria Sophía was always on the move, full of advice and stories for young kids, and hard at work in her house or garden. She seemed ancient, but also ageless: Nothing changed about her in all the many years I had known her. Yiayiá’s funeral was Kiría Sophía’s best opportunity to school me in the solemn responsibility of paying last respects. She did not want me to be afraid of the dead body we were going to witness. Walking me to the church on the afternoon before the funeral, she tried to convince me that bathing and dressing my grandmother in preparation for it, as she had done the previous evening was the most natural thing. She clutched my hand, aware of my urge to escape, and stood me in front of the casket. Yiayiá’s face was serene, which was reassuring, but when Kiría Sophía instructed me about how I was to kiss my grandmother on the cheek when the priest invited us to say our final goodbye, I tried to pull away.  

    " Kítaxe Leutheráki,” she began gently, but firmly.    

     “Look my dear little Terry, this will be the last time you’ll see Yiayiá, because the priest will then close the casket.”

The piercing pain in my heart was more than I could endure. She hugged me as she carried me out of the church crying, but she did not let me off the hook: Na ti dόsis éna teleftéo filáki! You are to give one last, affectionate kiss. That’s what Yiayiá would want! 

Pόntos is a region of Asia Minor in present day Northwestern Turkey, south of the Black Sea. It was populated by a large Greek community known as the Pόntius. They were expelled from Turkey in 1922 in retaliation for the botched Greek invasion to recapture lands that Greece believed belong to them. Part of Greek lore is the timeless dream of Na párume tin Pόli, the mission “to take back the City”, i.e., Constantinoúpolis - present day Istanbul. It was the capital of Byzantium and it remains the symbol of Hellenic culture. It continues to hold the seat of the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox church. During the “Catastrophe of 1922”, Greek communities in Turkey were burned and pillaged, and over a million Greeks were forcibly removed from country. The tragic “exchange of populations”, where Greece expelled Turks from the recently liberated lands of Macedonia and Thrace in retaliation, was the result of the long festering animosity between the two nations. 

My grandparents lived this tragedy: My grandfather’s brother was hanged as a subversive because he was a leading voice of Greek literary culture and my grandfather, a theologian, left his home in the dead of night fearing execution. My grandmother had to carry my 2-year old father in her lap during the long march to the Aegean shores where she boarded a boat to Athens and was eventually reunited with my grandfather with the help of refugee relief agencies.

Expressions have the power to bring to life the languages and cultures of the world. They capture nuances and are a window to a country’s heartbeat, their way of life and thinking. Their choice and configurations of words can be puzzling to foreigners, but once their context is revealed, they open our eyes to diverse perspectives in the same way travel does. They broaden our vision beyond the confines of our perceptions. They challenge our norms with their playful cadences and beckon us to discover new songs to dance to.

Greek expressions have a special place in my heart, because they enrich my life with joy. They fuel my imagination, propel my aspirations and temper impulsive reactions. They comfort and console me in times of sorrow, showing me a path out of despair and hopelessness. Their timeless quality remind me of the blessings in my life by keeping me connected to the land and people I love.

Expressions are messengers of the past and recorders of history. They shed light to those who will listen: They explain the causes of triumphs and tragedies, the joys and ills of societies. Their succinct phrasing and one pointed focus bless us with clarity. We build value systems from the experiences of those who came before us and learn how to navigate challenges. They guide us through adversity by offering lessons on how to face entrenched biases.

The Greek interspersed throughout this writing is the modern form of the language, the one spoken in the streets, at social gatherings, within families and amongst children at the time I was growing up in Greece. 50-plus years later, I’m amazed how the Greek of my youth is evolving in unique and creative ways. A good example is how people wish each other farewell these days: Kalí sinéhia they say, καλή συνέχεια, good continuation. I never heard this as a child and the concept fascinates me. Some of the ways we spoke have faded, but the way we conveyed thoughts and sentiments in those idiosyncratic phrases are easily understood by our contemporaries.

Learning a language out of love reminds me of the journey that Cavafy wrote about in his masterful poem Ithaca: We must hope for the road to be long, the poet counsels, “full of adventures and discoveries.” We become “wealthy” with what we gain during the journey, “not expecting Ithaca to make [us] rich”.

Many people who admire the Greek language take interest in the culture and literature of the ancient Greeks and the origins of the Bible. When Greece won its independence from the Ottoman empire in the 19th century it instituted the artificial language of Katharévousa. Katharévousa literally means a clean, pure form of speech. It became the official language of the country replacing Demotikí, the language of the common people. It was the grand compromise of a blend between ancient and modern Greek. It was brought on by the effort to modernize the country and it fulfilled the nation’s yearning to resurrect past glories. 

The Greek educational system of my time imposed it on us under the guise of modern Greek, but the country found its true identity with a renewed sense of pride towards during the last quarter of the 20th century after the demise of a series of military juntas. I grew up in the last dictatorship of 1967-74. To my delight, the wave of literary renaissance which dominated the reestablishment of democracy scrapped the convoluted grammatical structures of Katharévousa. Demotikí was embraced and codified. It celebrated the rich beauty, wit and elegance of contemporary modes of expression, while maintaining the pride of its historical roots. It was a similar revival to the language of Mark Twain: While the “coarse language and bad grammar” in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were initially denounced, they are embraced by a wide swath of people.

Terry Theocharides was born in Stockton CA in 1956 and raised at the American Farm School, a premier educational institution on the outskirts of Thessaloniki, Greece. He graduated from Anatolia College in Thessaloniki, and he returned to the US at the age of 18. He earned a BA in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1978 and an MS in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Francisco State University in 1983. He worked for non-profit social service agencies during the first phase of his 45-year career. He then managed his own rehabilitation counseling practice for 15 years in California’s Central Valley. He spent the last 15 years of his career working for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs offering career guidance to service connected disabled Veterans. He’s been living in Santa Cruz since 1976 where he enjoys reading and writing in retirement, gardening, learning Tai Chi, teaching and building the tango community with his wife Sharon.

The American Farm School continues to embrace the vision of its founder, Dr. Henry House, who wrote the school’s creed in 1910: “I believe in a permanent agriculture, in a soil which grows richer rather than poorer. I believe in living not for self, but for others. I believe that tillers of the soil are stewards of the land.” 

Today, we balance a deep-rooted adherence to these values with the inevitable changes introduced by technology. The American Farm School integrates advanced technology throughout its curriculum and includes an Educational Farm to enhance hands-on and real-world learning. From elementary school to Perrotis College, students engage with STEM tools such as robotics, smart boards, and digital sensors. The Educational Farm serves as a living lab, using precision agriculture technologies like IoT sensors, weather stations, and smart greenhouses to teach sustainable farming practices. Students also gain practical experience in food production, agribusiness, and entrepreneurship through modern facilities and research programs. AFS emphasizes environmental sustainability, digital literacy, and innovation, preparing students for the evolving demands of agriculture, agro-food industries, and environmental conservation.

Jeff Lansdale, Ph.D., President

American Farm School, Thessaloniki, Greece

There are many institutions that have shaped my life, but, of all them, the American Farm School in Thessaloniki, Greece, remains dearest to my heart. It is my hope that sales of A Moment of Clarity will generate a scholarship fund for the school in memory of my parents, Harry and Mary Theocharides. The school has a long tradition of recruiting students who don’t have the means to pursue the unique educational opportunities offered by this elite institution specializing in strong academics as well as practical learning in agroecology, environmental sustainability, food science and technology, and international business. Your support will foster the education of “stewards of the land” whose ethical values will raise the standards of living of the Greek nation and our world at large.

Please visit www.afs.edu.gr/en/giving/  to make your contribution to the American Farm School in memory of Harry and Mary Theocharides. You may also use the QR code by scanning it with a phone. 

Thank you, 

Terry Theocharides.