I love you Grandpop
2002-12-18

My grandfather died between Thanksgiving and Christmas about 4 years ago. I loved my grandfather. We were not the most close two people in the world, but I truly loved the man. When Grandmom was being her usual crazy self we would share that knowing eye roll.

When I was at work the other day, this older man and his daughter came through my line. He looked nothing like my grandfather, He was blond, had missing teeth, etc. But He reminded me so much of my grandfather that I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

It was all in his attitude. He was flirtatious and fun and outgoing. He was harassing his daughter playfully and flirting with me. It made me smile and made me want to cry at the same time. This time of year I wish that I had more time with my grandfather. That I had been able to know more what he was about.

In my bedroom, I have two things on the top of my mirror. One is a mug with a candle in it that I painted for my grandfather to give to him for christmas the year that he died. It said " I love Grandpa." I had made a matching one for my grandmother that I actually gave to her. The other thing on my dresser is a Strawberry Shortcake figurine that my grandfather painted for me.

One christmas, my grandfather painted figurines for each of his grandchildren. This was probably in the early eighties. Carrie and I got Strawberry Shortcakes, Norman got an ET. I can't remember what some of my other cousins got. The rest of my cousins weren't born at the time.

A few years after I moved to Texas I made a special christmas present for him. I cross stitched a precious moments figurine with a quote at the bottom that said Grandpa's are a gift from god.

I remember that when he came to visit for my birthday parties he always flirted with Karen. I remember taking pictures of each other holding our cameras. I remember sitting with him while he showed me black and white pictures of his family. I remember sitting with him and grandmom at church. I remember him doing the pill march (he used to walk around the kitchen shaking his pill jars up and down like maraca's). I remember the alien replica in his den. I remember looking at the stars through his telescope with him. I remember his old blue car with the black seats. I remember praying on christmas as he drove my grandmother and I home from my uncles house.

There was a bagpiper at his funeral mass and two bagpipers at his burial ceremony. We did a pretty good job of keeping it together until they started playing. He was burried with his plaid caps.

I miss you Grandpop.

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