Today would have been my grandpa's birthday. I'm sure he's having a glorious celebration in heaven with my grandma. He died in 2000, but I still miss him like he was here yesterday. My grandparents lived only five houses down from us so they were our second set of parents. We spent just as much time, or even more, at their house than our own. I could list for days the things I learned from him. I still remember the day we sat on the swing set in the backyard and he taught me how to whistle. He taught me that even when I did something I wasn't supposed to, he still loved me like crazy. I knew that when he got home from work at the end of the day, I could reach into his chest pocket and find a pack of gum. But most importantly, he showed me how a husband should treat his wife. He wasn't an overly affectionate man, but I would sometimes walk into the kitchen and find him sneaking up behind my grandma at the stove and kissing her neck. And when my grandma backed through not one, but two new garage doors, he never raised his voice or made her feel bad. He simply got in the car, went back to Sears, and ordered a new one. He worked hard to provide for his family and he never met a stranger. He was known to send a certain granddaughter (I won't name any names) into the bathroom for a "time-out" and bring her a chair to sit on so she'd be comfortable. Dang, I miss that man!
What memories do you have of your grandparents?
This brought tears to my eyes. You were so blessed to live so close to your grandparents. We lived near my grandparents when I was a toddler, but moved away when I was four. I still had a deep bond with them until their deaths. Grandparents are so important. I hope that I will be able to have a close bond with my own grandchildren some day.
ReplyDeleteYou are both very lucky. My maternal grandmother died when I was 2 months old; all my other grandparents had died many years before.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so sorry to hear that Anne! I'm sorry that you missed out on the opportunity of knowing your grandparents. I hope that your kids have been able to have this experience, and that you will have a wonderful grandparenting experience when you become one yourself someday.
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