Goodbyes are Hard

We had to say goodbye to my Grandpa a couple of weeks ago. He had been struggling to recover from complications with a surgery in July, and he finally left us on December 17. While his failing health over the last few months has allowed us to be somewhat prepared for his passing, it's still been difficult for my family, especially since he was healthy prior to the surgery. But I'm so thankful that we were all able to spend some time with him in his last months, and that we all have so many wonderful memories.

When I was growing up, my sister and I would spend months every summer at my grandparents' house or in their RV on some trip. When I went to college right down the road from them, I spent even more time at their house. I grew very close to both of my grandparents during these times, and I have so many fond memories of time spent with Grandpa. While I could never share or even remember all of our times together, I put some of my thoughts into the following paragraph, which was read at Grandpa's service. I'm not sure that all my funny memories were understood by the large crowd, but Grandpa would have gotten it, so that's all that mattered.

Going away to college was a little difficult for me. The thought of being eight hours away from my parents was slightly terrifying, but I was comforted by the fact that Grandma and Grandpa would only be a short drive down the road. I don’t think I realized how often I would take advantage of their proximity, but it didn’t take long for me to start relying on them for many things. Grandpa was always there when I called. Whether he was offering a little gas money, being my fan at a concert or play, bringing me a bed and carrying it up three flights of stairs, and afterwards suffering through the mediocre Mexican food that I swore was “amazing.” Of course, this didn’t all start in college; Grandpa had always been there from me. He was at the helm of the RV, keeping us safe and happy on many summer adventures. He was able to fix things I broke, even that one time when the toilet started acting weird and I didn’t know what to do. And he was with me at my wedding, offering his blessing and hope for my marriage. And you know, it’s not over for me and Grandpa. He’ll still be with me. In his stories and advice that I’ll carry with me always.

My grandfather was a kind, caring, and compassionate. He was always willing to help anyone he could, and he loved his family very much. I'll miss him.