Goodbye, Grandpa!
Six days ago, one of the more amazing men I've met was called Home, capital "H." Great Grandpa Young was born on February 1, 1913. He turned an astonishing 99 on February 1st and left mortality six weeks later on March 17, 2012. Although he had the lofty goal of living until he turned 100, I'm glad he could go and be with Grandma, his son Marvin, and the rest of his loved ones who went on before. I'm also pleased that he didn't have to suffer long at the end of this life and that his passing was gentle and peaceful. He deserved that.
What do you say about a man who lived nearly a century. . . besides "Wow"? That's the best word I can come up with--wow! I met Grandpa twenty-five years ago when Mike and I were dating. He would have been 74 at the time, and in retrospect, he seemed so very much younger than that. He was still working nearly full-time, was more well-versed in current events than I could ever hope to be, was incredibly active in his community, and had this twinkle in his eye that suggested that he might live forever. The more I got to know him, the more I was amazed by his active mind and by his interest in EVERYTHING that was going on in his very large family. He was the patriarch of this amazing family that I married into, and I was grateful for his interest in all of our lives.
I was particularly pleased that Grandma and Grandpa were separated for less than three months. Adam noted that they were apart for just about a day (77) for every year (74) that they were married. Yes, that's right! They were married for 74+ years. That's worth another "wow!" That is one long marriage! (Actually, by today's standards that would equal two or three long marriages, but we won't go there.) I'm thankful that Grandma and Grandpa stood by each other for so long and that they can now be reunited someplace where they don't have to worry about the temperature. (Grandpa will finally be warm, and Grandma will at last be cool. The thermostat battles are over.)
I'm also very grateful that Mike, Adam, and I had the chance to be with him for his 99th birthday celebration. The event was pretty low-key and sparsely attended since most of the family had just gathered for Grandma's funeral, but I appreciated a little unhurried time with him at Paul and Susan's home. I got to talk to him one-on-one, and I enjoyed simply holding his hand and letting him know that I love him. Plus, I got to see his cake that wished him a Happy 99th Birthday. How many times do you get to see that?
Six days ago, one of the more amazing men I've met was called Home, capital "H." Great Grandpa Young was born on February 1, 1913. He turned an astonishing 99 on February 1st and left mortality six weeks later on March 17, 2012. Although he had the lofty goal of living until he turned 100, I'm glad he could go and be with Grandma, his son Marvin, and the rest of his loved ones who went on before. I'm also pleased that he didn't have to suffer long at the end of this life and that his passing was gentle and peaceful. He deserved that.
What do you say about a man who lived nearly a century. . . besides "Wow"? That's the best word I can come up with--wow! I met Grandpa twenty-five years ago when Mike and I were dating. He would have been 74 at the time, and in retrospect, he seemed so very much younger than that. He was still working nearly full-time, was more well-versed in current events than I could ever hope to be, was incredibly active in his community, and had this twinkle in his eye that suggested that he might live forever. The more I got to know him, the more I was amazed by his active mind and by his interest in EVERYTHING that was going on in his very large family. He was the patriarch of this amazing family that I married into, and I was grateful for his interest in all of our lives.
I was particularly pleased that Grandma and Grandpa were separated for less than three months. Adam noted that they were apart for just about a day (77) for every year (74) that they were married. Yes, that's right! They were married for 74+ years. That's worth another "wow!" That is one long marriage! (Actually, by today's standards that would equal two or three long marriages, but we won't go there.) I'm thankful that Grandma and Grandpa stood by each other for so long and that they can now be reunited someplace where they don't have to worry about the temperature. (Grandpa will finally be warm, and Grandma will at last be cool. The thermostat battles are over.)I'm also very grateful that Mike, Adam, and I had the chance to be with him for his 99th birthday celebration. The event was pretty low-key and sparsely attended since most of the family had just gathered for Grandma's funeral, but I appreciated a little unhurried time with him at Paul and Susan's home. I got to talk to him one-on-one, and I enjoyed simply holding his hand and letting him know that I love him. Plus, I got to see his cake that wished him a Happy 99th Birthday. How many times do you get to see that?
I can't honestly remember if I told Grandpa "goodbye" when we left Burley that day. There were many times when we left him that I wondered if I'd see him again in mortality, but I didn't realize that his 99th birthday party would be our last time together here on earth. I do know that I told him that I loved him because I always wanted him to know that. We're going to miss him, but I'm glad he's Home.
