Dear Papaw,
First of all, I want to say thank you. Thank you for being my grandpa. You had your hands full, being a grandfather to six grandchildren: four boys, two girls and multiple step-grandchildren. Your hands got even fuller when your grandchildren started having children. But you seemed to have enough love to go around to everyone. I got my gentle, quiet side from you, and best of all, I got my smile from you. They say wrinkles are where smiles have been, so you must have smiled a lot in your life. You first started getting sick when I was in high school and your condition deteriorated after my second year of college. It was hard seeing you sick, but you always found a way to make me smile, whether it was by telling me something silly or even just listening to me talk or you telling me how proud you were of me being in college and working. I remember Mom telling us every Christmas for the past four years that it could very well be your last Christmas with us, and I'm glad we got one last Christmas with you. One of my favorite Christmas memories was going over to your house and sitting on the couch while you sat on your chair. The last few visits were shorter because you were on oxygen and couldn't carry on a conversation very well. Even if you didn't talk much, I know you were listening to Christian and me talk about work and school. I could just see in your eyes how proud you were of us.
This picture is of my grandmother, my Aunt Jonetta, Aunt Samantha, my mother, my Aunt Yolanda, and my grandfather at my Aunt Yolanda's 25th wedding anniversary party. My grandparents certainly raised some wonderful people!
While I will miss you terribly, it's comforting to know you're not hurting anymore. I can't imagine how much you were suffering. It was hard to see you the way you were on the outside. I found out on a Monday morning that you had died. Even though I knew it was coming, it was still hard. I wanted nothing more in the world to be with my family. I wanted to stay home from school and work and other obligations I had. But after I sat in God's presence for a little while, I felt the sense to go to school and work today. Mom told me that's what you would have wanted: for me to still be going after what I want in life and to not let anything get in the way. And I can safely say that was the best thing to do. While I am sad, I have a new appreciation for life, and this was a time for me to embrace it all. I also realized just how many people care about me.
So to wrap this up, thank you for who you were. You were quiet, gentle, and kind. I know I had a special place in your heart as the youngest of your grandbabies and you had a special place in mine as my only living grandfather. One of my most favorite memories of you was when I interviewed you for a class project. You told me sweet stories of some of our family history and you told me most of all to remember that you loved me. I knew you had loved me all along.
I love you so much and I will miss you
Love, your baby granddaughter,
Sarah
In loving memory of Sam Sharum, "Papaw."
