I Learned The Greatest Lessons In Life From The Greatest Man I Know, A Man I Call Papa

We can all learn a thing or two from our grandparents.

Jordanmiller_10 Apr 3, 2019

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The greatest man I have ever met happens to be my Grandpa.

Anyone who has met my Papa knows that his smile can light up a whole room and his genuine love for anyone he meets is inspiring. From a young age, he has taught me many lessons indirectly on how to be a great individual.

My Papa has been married to my beautiful Baki (grandma), for 58 years in September. Their love is beautiful and their respect for one another and good hearts have made them able to cultivate the love they have for each other.

He has truly shown me how I should be treated by a man, with the love he has with my Baki.

He has shown me that respect, support, and unconditional love are needed in a lifelong commitment.

Positivity is something that my Grandfather does not fall short on. Even when I saw him in a hospital bed holding my mothers hand in pain he managed to smile. I think there was something to learn from that and that is that even in our worst times we can find an opportunity to be grateful for something.

My Papa has lived a beautiful life but there have been some hardships along the way.

Over a year ago I sat in my Grandparents kitchen In one of the countless long conversations I enjoy having with them. This conversation was different though. The story rooted in pain and that being the loss of their child. I learned, that my grandparents had lost a child, one of the hardest things any individual could possibly go through. It's not the hardship that changed my view on life its the way they overcame it, that is so beautiful.

My Uncle Paul was only around 3 months old when he passed away. My papa has disclosed to me that this felt like one of the lowest points he felt within his life. When asking him how he was ever able to be okay after that happened he told me that when Uncle Paul passed away he now saw that he had an angel in Heaven. That even though Uncle Paul is no longer with us he is in spirit.

He saw that having children was a blessing from God and that everything happens for a reason.

Those words and underlying meanings changed my perspective on the world we live in.

Even if you do not believe in a higher power. There is still something beautiful in the ability to turn something that is so devastating into a greater meaning and positive outlook.

Hearing that story has given me the lesson of faith not exactly pertaining to God himself, but the faith I have in humankind and the process of happiness. My Papa has used his faith to help guide him into the kind individual he is today. He has raised a beautiful family and from that has 12 grandchildren.

He has left a mark on all of us.

We can all learn a thing or two from our grandparents and their experiences in life. But I feel very fortunate to have the greatest man I have ever met as my Papa.

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Dear Grandpa,

As I get older, my memories are starting to fade. I try to cling to every last bit of memory that I have of you. There are certain memories that have stuck well in my brain, and I probably will never forget them, at least I hope I don't. I remember your smile and your laugh. I can still remember how your voice sounded. I never want to forget that. I catch myself closing my eyes to try to remember it, playing your voice over and over in my head so that I can ingrain it in my memory.

I always thought you were invincible, incapable of leaving me. You were so young, and it caught us all by surprise. You were supposed to grow old, die of old age. You were not supposed to be taken away so soon. You were supposed to see me graduate high school and college, get married to the love my life, be there when my kids are born, and never ever leave.

My heart was broken when I heard the news. I don't think I had experienced a pain to that level in my entire life. At first, I was in denial, numb to the thought that you were gone. It wasn't until Thanksgiving, then Christmas, that I realized you weren't coming back. Holidays are not the same anymore. In fact, I almost dread them. They don't have that happy cheer in the air like they did when you were alive. There is a sadness that hangs in the air because we are all thinking silently how we wished you were there. I hope when I am older and have kids that some of that holiday spirit comes back.

You know what broke my heart the most though? It was seeing your child, my parent, cry uncontrollably. I watched them lose their dad, and I saw the pain that it caused. It scared me, Grandpa, because I don't ever want to lose them like how they lost you. I can't imagine a day without my mom or dad. I still see the pain that it causes and how it doesn't go away. There are good days and there are bad days. I always get upset when I see how close people are to their grandparents and that they get to see them all the time. I hope they realize how lucky they are and that they never take it for granted. I wish I could have seen you more so that I could have more memories to remember you by.

I know though that you are watching over me. That is where I find comfort in the loss. I know that one day I will get to see you again, and I can't wait for it. I hope I have made you proud. I hope that all that I have accomplished and will accomplish makes you smile from ear to ear. I hope that the person I marry is someone you would approve of. And I hope that my kids get more time with their grandpa than I did because the amount I got wasn't fair.

I want to say thank you for raising your child to be the best parent ever because they will one day be the best grandparent ever. Just like you.

Cover Image Credit: Katelyn McKinney

Katelyn McKinney

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Grandparents are special. They are the leaders and foundations of our families. They love us unconditionally and are always there to lend a helping hand. The spoil us way too often! My grandparents mean the world to me. The picture above is one of my favorite photos with both my mother and my grandfather when I was a little girl. They are some of the best people in my life and have always set a good example for me. Cherish them while you can because they won't always be around! Here are nine reasons your grandparents are the best gifts you'll ever receive!