He was an amazing man. Was an Army Engineer, lost an eye, and came back to talk about it. Came back to marry a woman who had just gotten divorced on her own terms (unheard of in those days) who had 2 children. Together they had my mother. They spent their lives learning the real estate trade, collecting rocks, and raising a wonderful family. They still lived in the house where they met over 55 years later. I spent many christmas eves in that house as a child. There are still pencil marks on the kitchen doorway of how tall I was at age 8, 11, and 15.
That spinach never did put hair on my chest John. I'm going to have to arm-wrestle my own grandkids just so I can let them win too.
It's hard to find the words through all the tears.
Thank you for the punching bag, I did use it.
He was the last one of his generation left in my family. My father's parents have been dead for a while now (father since 1980, mother since 1993 I think). My mother isn't doing so well right now, having just lost both her parents in the span of 3 months.
I'm not doing so well having just lost the only grandparents I will ever have.
I will miss you John.
I love you more than I ever had words for.
I miss you already.
Live life while you have it. Not for your sake but for the people who care about you.