Grandad

My granddad passed away yesterday. This was the culmination of a long down-hill trip over the last few years. It was hard to see him the last couple of times. He was so withdrawn and disconnected - a shell of the man I knew growing up.

But in my memories he'll always be the Grandad from years ago. Living in the house in Nocona.

Sliding off the diving board like a walrus at our yearly labor day get-togethers.

Being silly and playing with my cousins and me. Playing the song Ned Nostril LOUD at his house at Christmas.

Playing his Bass Quartet group for us kids in the kitchen of his home.

I remember sitting in his house and looking at the huge grandfather clock and listening to it tick. That is what I would fall asleep to every night I would stay with them.

Chris and Karen and I used to play with a big box of buttons that grandmother and granddad had at their house.

Who knows where they got all those buttons, but it definitely kept us busy.

We would have“button” stores and sell and trade them to each other. Grandad would take me for rides on his riding lawn mower. I loved that! We would actually go all the way around the block and I thought that was the coolest thing.

I remember when my cousins and I would spend the night we thought we were so sneaky and would sneak around the house in the middle of the night trying to find a late night snack. Ha!

They always knew.

Grandad was 89 years old. To the day. Born June 4, 1920 and with his maker forever June 4, 2009. He was one amazing man and will always be in my heart. He was always so kind, and so fun. I never remember him being angry. He was so happy. He loved his family. He loved my grandmother too. He was sure to tell me how beautiful she was – quite often. Even through this tough journey that is now behind us. He always had someone else in front of himself. The last time I saw him was just a couple of weeks ago. He wasn’t the man I used to know. Yet, I could see that the man I used to know was still inside of him. He was weak. But he still was silly – in his own way. He just wanted to make sure that Denver was taken care of and he wanted me to know that he loved me.

What a man to know.

I love you, granddad.

For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

Psalm 48:14