Saying Goodbye

I was in Orlando for work last week and had just finished giving a presentation when I checked my phone and saw that I had a missed call from Eric and a text message from my dad saying to call him immediately.  My heart sank because I knew what the news was going to be.  I called my dad right away and learned that my grandpa had passed away.

Eric, Graecyn and I were able to make the trip home to celebrate Grandpa's life.  It was so good to be home with family; we spent a lot of time looking at old photos and videos and sharing stories.  The things I will remember most about Grandpa are his sense of humor and love of pulling pranks - I can remember many Christmas and birthday cards from him that were sealed with so much tape (every seam!) that it required a good pair of scissors to get into (Grandpa would sit there and chuckle while I struggled to get it opened).  I will remember how he always laughed so hard that he would cry, how he could whistle so loudly through his teeth, and how much he loved his family and was always there to cheer us on whether we were the star on the team or simply a bench warmer (me).

I am thankful that we were able to spend time with Grandpa while we were home at Thanksgiving and as hard as it is to say goodbye, there is some comfort in knowing that Grandpa and Grandma are reunited.

It was windy, overcast and snowing hard during the funeral and burial, but for a few minutes during the burial, the clouds parted and the sun peaked out - I think it was Grandpa's way of saying goodbye (thanks for the picture, Juli).