My 89 yr old grandfather, unexpectedly, went home to be with Jesus yesterday afternoon. He was outside his house, not sure exactly what he was doing, but fell and went thru the rose bush and hit his head on a brick or the concrete. This is very difficult for our family and just something that caught us all off guard. It just does not seem like this is really true. A neighbor was mowing and saw papaw laying in the yard. He called an ambulance, but he was gone before they got to the hospital. I hope he did not lay and suffer, that thought crossed my mind as my dad told me what happened. However, on the bright side, that suffering was quickly changed to glory and praise as he stepped into eternity to be with Jesus. This is a different hurt (if that makes any sense) than when my grandmother passed away 2 yrs ago, the love of papaw's life, because she had alzheimer's and we had slowly watched her dwindle away for almost 12 yrs, and the last 2 weeks of her life was spent in the hospital, drifting away. We expected her time to come, but not his. Equally painful to lose them both, but just different circumstances. I like to think they are holding our 2 babies we lost this yr and that just makes my heart melt, and all the while singing praises to the Lord!!
Papaw loved his Savior, loved his wife of 62 yrs, loved his 4 children (their spouses), 8 grandchildren (their spouses), and 3 great-grandchildren. He had a love for life and found humor in many things. He could remember jokes from way back and his mind was very sharp. I loved to hear him tell stories of his life. He was a rough one growing up, but after marrying my grandmother, she got him into church, and he eventually was saved from his life of sin. Papaw was so proud of his family and supported all of us. He came to watch me play ball from a little one right up thru college. Even just this past year, you could find him at my cousins games, who are turning 11 and 13 this summer. He would even drive from OS to Kingston this past winter to watch Keira play basketball. Always made me smile to see him walk thru that door. He loved his little BB, as he called Keira, and his little buddy Brock (LD), he has nicknames for all the great-grandchildren. I think b/c he could not say Keira correctly when she was born.
Papaw was a World War 2 veteran and I am grateful and thankful for his service. He received some awards and has been honored over the yrs for his service at various functions. He also got to participate in the Honor Air program a couple yrs ago, what a wonderful experience for him and the other veterans. He told some things about being in the war, but like most vetereans, not much. I can't even imagine to begin to understand what that is like. Thank you Papaw for your service for your country.
I am going to miss him so much, I dread walking into my grandparents house for that first time without either one being home. He was my last living grandparent and I have been blessed to have a grandparent in my life for over 33 yrs. He always made me feel special and called me "his girl." Things will be different now. I loved all my grandparents and they all are special to me in their own ways, but this marks the end of a chapter in my life, as life goes on without them. I have many, many memories and will cherish those and all the moments we had together. I will miss the little things, like the smells (i know that sounds strange, but my grandmother's perfume and papaw's smell he wore), the things he said, the loving smile, the caring eyes, the offer of gum, the offer of food or anything for that matter, the laugh, the songs papaw sang to us and my babies, the way he loved my babies. I am going to miss him!!!
I could write so much about him and his life, but to others it won't mean as much. But to me, it is a lifetime of love.
