You walked this earth for 73 years. I got the amazing opportunity to walk it with you for 19. You were gone too soon, it’s so cliché to say. I always took your presence in my life for granted, and I never really got the chance to appreciate you in life. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I didn’t know you at all. I couldn’t tell you what your favorite color was, or your favorite food. But to me, you were my hero. You were the cookie monster of the family, you “never met a cookie [you] didn’t like.” The love that you and grandma shared set the foundation for your children and grandchildren.
I want you to know that your legacy lives on through all of us.
I may not have known your favorite things, but I know you loved me. I didn’t ever get the chance to thank you for everything you did for me, for all the times you picked me up from school, all the times you brought me to church, all the times you took my side. You taught me to speak my mind and stand up for what I believe in. You taught me how to be patient when I tried to teach you how to use the DVD player for the fourth time. You made me feel like a technological genius when I showed you how to set up your favorite football sites on your new tablet. You gave me so many life lessons that I didn’t realize were lessons until way after the fact.
You gave me so much, and I never really took the time to realize it. You were at every cheerleading competition, every birthday party. You were there when I got my first car, my first job, my first boyfriend. You were the keystone in the family, the one we all leaned on for support. I guess that’s what happens when you’re the man of the family. You taught me so much about life, but the most valuable lesson I learned in dealing with your death. You taught me how to let go, no matter how much it hurts. You taught me that I can overcome phases in my life that feel insurmountable. You taught me how to push through my grief. You taught me how to keep living.
Because of you, I pursue my dreams and achieve my goals.
Because of you, I live in the moment and I’ve learned to appreciate the relationships I have. Because of you, I know that nothing lasts forever, and nothing is as important as family. So grandpa, thank you. Thank you for teaching me all of this and more. This May marks three years that I’ve walked without you, but every footfall has made me a better version of myself. my highest goal in life is to make you proud.
I love you grandpa, and I know you’ll be waiting for me with open arms someday.
