Some times I write a blog because I love to write them (even if almost no one reads it). Other times I write them because I have a thought, or a teen asks a question about something. Other times it is emotionally charged. This is emotionally charged.
1st off this isn't goodbye to this blog, it is good bye to some one. My last living grand parent. My Grandma Violet died when My mom was 19, My Grandpa Mechling died when I was 7, My Grandma Rosile died when I was 12, My "step" Grandma died when I was 14. The Only real Grand parent left (that I have contact with) is my Grandpa Al. He has recently lost his sight and quit swallowing I don't think he could read anyway (at least that is the story)...
Anyway, He is really sick with skin cancer. And is living his last days. I have had a heck of a lot memories with him in my life. So I thought I would share a story or two.
The 1st one is just a funny story, when my sister was in 1st grade her class did some kind of a play. I don't remember much but what I do remember is a brought a stuff animal/puppet. It was a Zooble Zoo Character. I wasn't allowed to have it during the show for some reason, so it sat in a clothes basket for the whole show. I watched this "play" and I was waiting to get my stuffed animal. At the end of the show my grandpa stuck in in his jacket and hid it. I remember finding it very, very very funny as a 4 year old. I also remember he came to a lot of our school events as a young child open houses and such. He always seem to have a smile and a joke or a story to tell...some thing to talk about and of course old rail road stories.
Another story I remember is one night when I was around a freshman in high school my grandpa spent the night at my house. My dad was at my uncles so it was my mom, sister and I with my grandpa. All night we stayed up and I don't think I fell asleep until 6 am. My grandpa had me rolling about stories from his childhood, One in particular: He was staying at his grand parents house and their was this girl. He was about 11 and she was 13ish....and well he was walking by a bush and she grabbed him and touched his "peeny wennie"...he when home and told his grandpa and his grandpa asked what he did and he said he ran away...I still laugh about referring to your...as a peeny weenie.
There are hundreds of stories I could tell you...but those 2 are 2 really good ones, at least I think so.
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If I had to write a eulogy for my grandpa it would go something like this:
My grandpa was a kind man, He always a joke and a story. I want to share a few laughs that I had with my grandpa, one time at the lake house it was just about the last night and I was getting stuff together and looking for Michelle and he said the pirates got her...now I was tired and not thinking clearly so I just went down by the beach and then I found out the joke was on me...who came up with it all, you guessed it. Grandpa....when I walked back up the stairs and saw that Michelle was right there I just laughed. You all might remember his hunting habbits, I will never forget another year when he brought his old pictures but it was one that you have to click to go to each slide. It prob. was from the 60's and no one new how to use it. When it was found out we spent the rest of the night looking at all these old pictures that for some reason Grandpa was not it any of them...and he didn't take them. Well, then we found out that he had the pictures taken so he would know what happened while he was hunting. There are many other memories I have like when I was real young I would hug him and then he would say "You broke my neck" and then I would proceed to try and "fix" it with an invisible screw driver. Now As I am here I think about all those years and all those days leading up to Grandpa's passing. I remember talking to him the last time, and all he could say was I love you, and that is all I could say. But everything else seemed so insignificant to say. It was like that is all I had to say, that was all that was left. I never remember saying those words in the past few years, and to say that. That was it, and it felt like it was enough. I have spent a lot of time thinking about all those good memories I have, from all those years. One year I will never forget it, during vacation we spent the whole week waking up to go see the coal car drop the coal. Every day the would say we aren't going to be doing that today. But everyday he insisted we had to go see this.
Now I want to share some stories I remember being told, one of which has always been my fav. When my mom and siblings were little they went on a drive with my grandpa, this guy wanted to race them in the car. Now full well knowing where a cop car was right around the bend. So my Grandpa said the first one to turn right down the road wins. and they were off, my Grandpa slowed down right before this guy whipped around and a cop car got him right there. And as they drove past they all just looked out the window and waved. A few more great things about my grandfather is that he had a laugh that would make you laugh. Some times at the stupidest things, like a leaf falling from a tree, only he could find humor in that. I would be amiss if I didn't talk about his love for guns, a proud card carrying member of the NRA, his proudest moments in life I think were when he taught his grand kids how to shoot, I can remember the first time I hit the bulls eye dead on with his bb gun from when he was a boy, the look on his face was so proud that I could shoot and hit the target perfectly. He would get that look no matter what it was, whether it was shooting, school, music, sports. He loved it even if we weren't that good. I think my family would remember all my failed attempts at singing, but every time he would look at me and say that was FANTASTIC! He was a hopeless romantic, who admired love, and he could tell when it was really real. He had a love for the rail road that no one else could match, everything about it. I remember being young and he got these videos from the store, then he wanted to watch them so he sat everyone down, and we had to watch all these shots of trains...He had a smile from ear to ear on his face. Everyone else looked bored and just wanted it to stop. But he insisted we watch every single video. Grandpa lived a very storied life. He always had one to tell. I loved talking history with him for hours it would go on it wasn't just a short talk. It was about every piece every side, every thing. i remember just talking about the Bazooka gun, and how Americans got a hold of a Nazi one and modeled ours after theirs. Because it was easier to use. He loved to show his love for his family. I am sure he could go on and on and on about each grand kid, everything he was proud about. It didn't matter he would talk your ear off about it.
I really feel like the readings explained my grandpa, He ran the race, it wasn't at all easy but he finished...and he never complained. That is one thing I will never forget he could be having the worst day ever, but he would still give a smile.
Learn How to live, and you'll know how to die; learn how to die, and you will know how to live- Morrie Schwartz
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