Sunday, March 10, 2019

Gramps


Gramps was the...

     giver of Dots
       host of Sunday dinner
     first to chuckle
       warmest embracer
     master joke teller
       wearer of the cardigans
     tireless worker
       restaurant picker
     world traveler
       trier of all things
     user of all the Minnesotan slang
       simplest in the best of ways
     appreciator of life's small things
       anticipator of meaningful moments
     pusher of authenticity
       wild ride through parking lots
     one my Dad called every Sunday
       the raiser of nine amazing children
     requestor of the birthday dance
       card player at Christmas
     always smiling
       jazz genre's biggest fan
     story teller over family meals
       listener of your tales
     watcher of the birds
       master of the BBQ
     embracer of my mother
       first my son trusted
     one who opened his home
       first to start shennanigans
     one to lead with love
       lifelong learner by light
     one who understood why sparkle mattered
       giver of the nicknames
     capturer of things that mattered
       heart of the family

Sometimes I sit quietly and tick through the list of all the things I wish I would've asked him and wonder what he would say. How deeply I could have learned and experienced him in life had we lived closer or spent more of our time in intimate conversation. But then I recall one of our very last talks as he sat on the deck, the sun striking our faces in a rare, one-on-one moment: 

 "Gramps - when your time comes, will you feel ready to go?" 

 "Oh yah, I do. I mean look at this and look at my kids. Everyone is doing well...happy...what more can you ask for? I've had a good life. A very good life."

And just like he said, what more can you ask for than that?

I love you Grandpa, and I've learned from you, the life you've created and the people you've loved. May heaven be as fabulous as the brightest sunrise in Mexico. Love, Meggers. 






     
     
     

   

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