My Grandpa passed away last Sunday.
It's tough to say and even tougher to see in writing.
He was sick for a while -- his kidneys were failing, he was on dialysis, he suffered from multiple strokes and before he died, the doctors told him that they'd have to amputate both of his legs.
It's unfair to put a man through so much during his last days. Especially a man as fiercely proud and independent as my grandfather.
The funeral was last Thursday.
Everyone said he looked so peaceful and he did, but I don't want to remember a peaceful man.
I want to remember the man he really was -- the way his eyes lit up when any of his grandkids came home. His great appetite for life. I want to remember him for his sense of humor and the way he held both your hands during a handshake. Hell, I want to remember him for how stubborn he was -- a trait passed onto most of his progeny and further still.
I'm still a little messed up but I'm trying to get through it.
Stuff like this made me really appreciate the people in my life. Not just my mom and dad, Sparky and Dan, The Best Friend and the Crew, but everyone -- the guy at Blockbuster who quotes Talledega Nights and makes you laugh when you didn't think it was possible (thanks guy). The cashier at Publix who genuinely smiles at you and tells you to enjoy your day. The guy who lets you in at a particularly crowded intersection. The waitress who refills your sweet tea without you saying a word.
You can write it off by saying, "They're just doing their job," but it's more than that. These people don't owe you anything. They don't have to be nice nor friendly, but they are.
These are all tiny kindnesses that we, for the most part, ignore. I don't want to do that anymore.
Leave an extra buck. Smile back. Tell them that they're doing a great job and that you appreciate it. It takes all of five seconds and honestly -- you can't tell people enough.
It's tough to say and even tougher to see in writing.
He was sick for a while -- his kidneys were failing, he was on dialysis, he suffered from multiple strokes and before he died, the doctors told him that they'd have to amputate both of his legs.
It's unfair to put a man through so much during his last days. Especially a man as fiercely proud and independent as my grandfather.
The funeral was last Thursday.
Everyone said he looked so peaceful and he did, but I don't want to remember a peaceful man.
I want to remember the man he really was -- the way his eyes lit up when any of his grandkids came home. His great appetite for life. I want to remember him for his sense of humor and the way he held both your hands during a handshake. Hell, I want to remember him for how stubborn he was -- a trait passed onto most of his progeny and further still.
I'm still a little messed up but I'm trying to get through it.
Stuff like this made me really appreciate the people in my life. Not just my mom and dad, Sparky and Dan, The Best Friend and the Crew, but everyone -- the guy at Blockbuster who quotes Talledega Nights and makes you laugh when you didn't think it was possible (thanks guy). The cashier at Publix who genuinely smiles at you and tells you to enjoy your day. The guy who lets you in at a particularly crowded intersection. The waitress who refills your sweet tea without you saying a word.
You can write it off by saying, "They're just doing their job," but it's more than that. These people don't owe you anything. They don't have to be nice nor friendly, but they are.
These are all tiny kindnesses that we, for the most part, ignore. I don't want to do that anymore.
Leave an extra buck. Smile back. Tell them that they're doing a great job and that you appreciate it. It takes all of five seconds and honestly -- you can't tell people enough.
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