Nella985

I have never visited here before but as I read I feel compelled to share a piece of my heart with you, my grandfather's death.

I lost my beloved grandfather 6 months ago. He was 89 years old and still going strong, living a full and healthy life right up until the week of his passing. It's not as if a 89 year old man's death is unexpected but I wasn't ready. I want to share something about his life with you but it would be so trivial compared to what he actually was. He was the kind of man that no one ever forgets. It may sound silly but I think that the world lost a piece of it's magic the day that he died.
I miss him terribly everyday. I expect him to pull up in his little pick up truck and visit me and my children. He made the rounds each day, coffee with my father, tinkering in his yard, visiting us at the office (family business) and spending the evening's with a special lady friend taking care of her and her neighbors who couldn't get around as well as he could. He stopped in the day that he got really sick and played with my baby, he was only 3 months old and he smiled for him for the first time. Grandpa was so happy about that. He had been sick for a long time by then and nobody knew, by the time he realized how sick he was it was too late to do anything but help ease his pain.
My entire family started to gather at the hospital the next day. We hadn't all been together at once for as long as I can remember, some cousins living in other states and uncles and aunts that didn't come around very much. We all sat at the hospital because we didn't know where else to be. We took turns visiting him, I wanted to stay all night the evening that he died but he told me to go and be with my children. The last time I kissed him he told me that he was "so very tired". I looked into his eyes and it was like he was telling me he was ready to go. I told him that he had earned his rest and left. My younger brother, father and one uncle were with him when he died. My brother said that he thinks they all let go at the same time so he could finally be at peace. He took a big breath and opened his eyes, he had tears in his eyes as he looked up and around the room, then he was gone. I sincerely believe that his wife and daughter came to take him home. When I think of him now I picture him in my head and I can only picture him how he was when I was a child, he seemed so young at 69 years old! Each time I saw him I thought he looked so tired, in my heart I know that he isn't tired anymore.

It's strange how much one person can mean to you isn't it? My grandfather was always one of my heros and it feels like the piece of my heart that belonged to him is gone too. My little girl keeps asking if he can come to her birthday party, she knows he has died but doesn't understand why "grandpa-great" can't come back to play. He means so much to her too. I remember one day sitting in my car at his house before I was married thinking I hope that I am married and have a family before he goes. I want him to know my children and I don't think I can bear to lose him without the support of a husband. What a crazy thing to think about at 17 years old!

Thank you for reading this and allowing me to share this part of my life. I have experienced death before and I know that things get better as time passes. Memories are treasures.