my grandpa ron was a complicated person. he wasn’t particularly warm and he wasn’t much of a talker. he didn’t ask about school or your interests. he didn’t even like to talk about the weather, something i thought was a staple for all people over the age of 70. but he was my grandpa and i loved him in the way that all little girls love their grandpas. as a teenager, i spent a lot of time focusing on the differences between my grandfather and i. the ways in which we were not alike. not on the same page. the older i got, the more i came to appreciate all that we had in common. all that we share. my grandpa was an observer. he quietly look in the world. he loved his family and he was a loyal partner to my nana for many years. he had such respect for the life they created. and cared for her in a way that only a partner can. their relationship was confusing to me but being in my own marriage now i realize relationships don’t need to make sense to anyone except those who are in it. they knew what worked for them and that’s all that matters. my grandpa loved dogs. i have so many snapshots in my mind of my grandfather playing the dogs in my family. they responded to him in a way that made you believe they trusted him. knew of his goodness. when i was younger i remember thinking he liked the dogs more than me but i see how that perhaps he was drawn to them because of how uncomplicated they were. if there’s one thing i know about the women in my family it is that we are a handful. just ask any of the men. my grandfather’s affections spread wide and he loved many things. he loved his garden. the raspberries he picked for my sisters and i during our summer visits were my favorite. he loved small children. he loved cars. he loved his job and was passionate about what he did. he loved taco bell. he loved jesus. he loved my nana. he loved his kids and he loved his grandkids and great grandkids, in his own way. my son will never meet his great grandfather. at least not in this life. and that makes me very sad. but i will honor his legacy by sharing with my son all the great many things my grandpa was and all the good that he brought into this world. all the people he helped and the impact of a life lived well. before his passing i asked my dad how grandpa was doing. he told me he was sleeping and that he looked peaceful. then he told me grandpa probably wouldn’t wake up until heaven. and i smiled. because i can’t think of a better place to wake up. see you there, grandpa. see you there.
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