L.L.N.... would have been 90 years old this year. That is something he reminded me of often. Sometimes with excitement and other times with exhaustion at the thought he was still here, fighting the fight. His entire family of origin preceded him in death. He lost his second wife R.G.N. nearly 8 years ago. He was ready for the journey "home". Though he did find joy in the moments he still had here.
He was a son, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a husband, a father...
But for me and my children he was a grandpa.
It was two days after my 17th birthday that Grandpa N. married my grandma. They were like two teenagers. They kissed, hugged and danced around the house. I loved to hang out with them and as soon as I had a license I would often drive the 45 minutes to their house and stay for the weekend. My friends were always welcome and grandma and grandpa kept them quite entertained with stories and laughter.
We were also well fed there. Dinners were always yummy and usually there was at least one if not many things on the table that came from grandpa's garden. He was always proud of his garden and worked very hard. There was rarely a visit that counters were not overflowing with food he had grown. Eating corn, several varieties of squash and his giant tomatoes are some of my happy memories. He also grew sunflowers and pumpkins that were unrivaled for miles around. To say he had a green thumb would be putting it mildly. If he touched it, it grew. I remember when he pruned the orange tree one year and my mother freaked out. But then it not only bore a ton of fruit the year following, but better fruit at that. One year Aunt P. gave him a small evergreen at Christmas time. It was in a pot and he decided to plant it in the yard. That tree grew and grew until it was higher than the house.
Grandpa loved to tell stories. And I loved to listen to them. He must have told me the same stories of his humble and difficult childhood a thousand times. But each time I learned a little more about him. He would light up telling me about a movie he saw with his daughter, a visit with his son or stories of his grandchildren. On my last visit with him the day before he died I hadn't seen him look better since grandma had been gone. He laughed, smiled, hugged, kissed us and of course told stories of the shack he grew up in and the hard life he lived. He felt lucky to live so close to Shelley, and bad that he hadn't spent more holidays with his kids. He was a new man, a different man. I live in the neighborhood in Buena Park two streets from where he used to live. We just added on and he talked about getting well because he wanted to see the house. My children sang and danced and made him laugh. It was a memorable time. I wouldn't have done things any differently if I had know it was my last. He must have kissed me goodbye six times and I am grateful to Shelley for calling me so we could have one last happy memory with him.
He was not a perfect man. He was the first to admit that he could have done things differently in his youth and as a father. He openly proclaimed that he would be dead if he hadn't stopped drinking and that he drank far too much in younger years. My grandma didn't allow alcohol in the house and after a few drinks in paper bags in the garden, grandpa decided to be done. He never had another drink of alcohol after that decision. I always admired that level of resolve that he had. When he set his mind to something he could be stubborn, but that was often a strength.
Though he wasn't a church goer, he was a praying man and he had a great deal of faith. I know where he is and I do not mourn because I know he is happy to be there with so many people he loves including all his siblings, my Aunt Pam, my Grandmother, and my Mother. As his daughter expressed when she called me...it was a tender mercy because he was ready to go home. I know that he was welcomed home with open arms. I am sorry for the years he suffered so much back pain. I am grateful those pains are over and that he is free from them at last.
- In 2 Timothy 4:7 we read
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: - His battle on earth is complete. I rest in the assurance that he has peace. I will miss him until we meet again.
- #317 Reason I see the hand of Heavenly Father in my life...After my grandpa died when I was in high school, he gave my grandma another husband, and me another grandpa...that loved me very much. That was a tender mercy.
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