Dear Grandpa,

The first thing I want to say is that I miss you with all my heart, forever and always. I never stop thinking about you or the memories we had made.

They say that the loss of a loved one often changes someone's life. I'd like to agree.

I hate that I had to lose you at such a young age. I am old enough to remember your smell, and remember how contagious your laugh was; that always made us think you were up to something suspicious. But I was too young for you to get to know the real me. I'm still trying to figure that out who that is.

I wish you could have been at my college graduation. I know that you would be cheering louder than anyone when they called my name to walk across the stage and receive my diploma. But I know you'll be watching from up above with all of my other past relatives cheering me on, as I continue on this journey.

I wish that you would be there when I say "I Do" at my wedding ceremony some day. I wish that you could meet my future husband and approve of him (it would mean a lot coming from you because you were so protective of me) and then maybe scare him a little. I wish you could be sitting in the church as I give my vows and promise to love my future husband as deeply as you loved me and our entire family.

I wish that you were around to hear that we still talk about you. We all still laugh about stories from vacations and how you would get mad if someone took your seat at the dinner table on Christmas.I wish you could hear us all trying to impersonate the way you laugh or how sarcastic you liked to be. I wish I could hug you one last time because you gave the warmest hugs every time I every need a pick-me-up or just because hugs are better than words.

I wish I took more pictures with you. I wish smartphones were a thing when you were still here, so I could have had videos of your voice with me always. I barely have any pictures with you and now it's too late and i regret it. But i will always cherish the one that we have together.

I want you to know that I miss you so much and I wish you could be around to see the woman I became. Not a day goes by that I don't think about you. I wish heaven had visiting hours. I miss you so much, but I know you would be proud of me.

If Heaven wasn't so far away I'd be there everyday.

I love you so much, Grandpa.

Love,

Your Granddaughter