Love You Today, Tomorrow, and Forever!A grandparent and a granddaughter share a special bond. I'm not a grandparent so I can't speak from experience to say why grandchildren hold such a special place in their grandparents hearts, but I am a granddaughter and I can say that grandkids and grandparents have relationships like no other. I know that I have a little extra love in my heart for my grandparents on my dads side. No one could prepare my family for what life had in store and looking back, my parents did the best they could given the circumstances they were handed. My family moved to Arizona when I was around 4 or 5 years old and my grandma died from breast cancer when I was 6. I don't remember her, at all, which really bothers me. I mean, 6 years old...I should have some sort of memory or recollection, right? I think it's because we had moved away for a little over a year before she passed, which does make me feel a little better about not remembering. My parents decided to move back to Illinois shortly after she had passed, where we lived with my grandpa for a short period of time until my parents found a house. One and a half years. One year and a half years is all that my family had with my grandpa after my grandma's death before he left this world. Seems like a cruel joke, but I know some people have far more heartbreaking stories than mine and I am truly thankful for the short few years I had to bond with my Papa before he passed. I do have a few memories of my grandpa, which I am SO very thankful for. He was a man of few words with one heck of a sense of humor. I didn't realize until I was older that the bond we shared, and that he shared with most of his grandkids, was so special. I vividly remember that every Sunday when we went over to his house (Sunday gravy is still a very real thing within my family, in case you're wondering) that one of the first things that had to happen was to go give Papa a kiss and sit on his lap. He'd press me for information about whether or not I was a good girl that week, which of course I always was, duh. And then he'd give me a crisp $5 bill. FIVE WHOLE FREAKING DOLLARS! My Papa died 8 days before my 8th birthday. A blizzard decided to make an appearance in March (which is technically still winter until the 20th but when I think of March the last thing I think of is snow) and my grandpa had a heart attack while shoveling. Well, that was the coroner's diagnosis but we all know he died from a broken heart. He was never the same after my grandma passed away (who could really blame him). My parents tried their best to make birthdays fun (there are plenty of photos to prove it despite me swearing as the youngest child I always got gypped), but I've never actually enjoyed my birthdays. Now that I'm older I think a lot of it stems from the fact that my grandpa was buried only a few days before my 8th birthday - which also happened to be my mom's actual birthday, talk about a dark way to celebrate another year on earth. I used to go through the thought process of 'what could have been' if they stuck around a little bit longer, but I had an epiphany one day. It wouldn't have been any different, because if it was going to be different...it would have been. I know, the sentence doesn't quite roll off the tongue and one day I'll find a better way to communicate what I'm trying to emphasize. But the point I want to make is that life had plans. There is no changing the past, no matter what the situation is. All that you can do is be better in the future. How does that apply to death? How can you 'be better' when someone so significant leaves your life so unexpectedly? You know that quote along the lines of, "you can cry because they're gone or you can smile because it happened?" - it's the perfect way to view death. You can either be bitter that your loved ones are no longer here or you can be thankful. Thankful that you had them in your life. Thankful that you know what unconditional love truly is. Thankful that you have positive memories to smile about. So be thankful. Be better, not bitter. I hope there is never a day when I become too angry at the world that I can't see how blessed I am. I don't have many photos of my grandparents. Pre-internet days my mom (Hi mom! I know you're going to read this) decided it would be a great idea to take our family photos, cut them out, and glue them onto a table that my dad had made....all without taking any copies. In addition to that photos weren't all that common in the 90s. Obviously they were common, but no one took photos like they do now.
I cherish what little photos I have, especially the photos that are of just me and my grandparents. I set out to write this blog about a new granddaughter product I released and instead I went deep into the rabbit hole of how special my grandpa was to me, even though I only spent a few short years with him. I would normally just save this as a draft and call it a day, but I obviously needed to release the feelings I have inside. I'll sign off with this, a gentle reminder...
1 Comment
Julie Linn Sims
4/11/2023 03:47:38 pm
Thank you for this beautiful article. We got our granddaughter when she was 8 years old and she is now 18. She doesn't live close but she is all I could've asked for in a granddaughter. I am trying make a memory box to give her before my time on earth is done. I've seen this "poem" other places and I would really love to use to Mod Podge on the top of the box.
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Jen DowneyTravel lover. Tetris Master. Amateur blogger about gift ideas that I create. Archives
August 2023
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