No, I've never met you, but I've heard a lot about you. My parents think about you often and it breaks my heart you're not around for them. I know how much my parents mean to me. I couldn't imagine ever losing either of them. Though I've never experienced the pain of physical separation from you, I still feel the absence of you in my life. There are just so many things I wish I could say to the grandparent I've never met.
1. "Thank you."
Where do I even begin to thank you? Without you, my parent wouldn't be who they are today; which in turn would change my entire existence. You've raised a caring, strong, and hard-working individual. You must have been something else, because I am cared for and loved so incredibly much. That can only leave me to imagine how amazing you truly were. So, thank you. Thank you more than I could say. I'll stay forever wishing I could have thanked you in person.
2. "What if?"
I always ask myself, "What if you were still alive?" Would we be going to the zoo or park together? Would you be imparting wisdom left and right for me?. What if you were still here to support my parent? Would the hard times have been less hard for them? I think about you often and imagine what direction my life might have taken had I met you.
3. "Tell me a story."
I can only imagine all the things you've done and seen that I don't know about. My parents do their best to tell me about you, but I can tell it's hard. When I think about you, I just want to hear your voice. I want to hear about your childhood, your first love, or embarrassing stories of my parent. I so desperately want to know you and what you were like.
4. "I miss you."
It has to be possible to miss someone you've never met because I miss you. I may not know exactly who the person is that's missing out on my life, but that doesn't change the fact that I miss you. Though not present, you've had so much influence in my life. You deserve to see it, and you deserve to be here in the moment with us.
5. "I love you."
I've never been able to tell you this before, and I wish I could. You're flesh and blood and I will forever feel connected to you. So just know, that though I've never met you, how much I love you, how much your family loves you, and how much we miss you.
