Eulogy for Grandpa

My grandfather passed away today.  My work and my coworkers are amazing.  Although I was uncertain of my feelings while he was sick, I'm definitely certain of them now.  I don't really want to discuss my feelings at the moment though so I'm not going to try.  What was interesting was that the first thing that I wanted to do after I cried for a bit was write and so I wrote:

As a family, we would be considered among the lucky ones.  We are enormous; complete with brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and cousins a plenty.  Today we have all come together in honor of a man who not only helped to create this beautiful family but a man who loved and cherished each and every member.    My grandfather had numerous amazing attributes, but his most prolific was that above all; he was a family-man.   Everything he did, he did for his family.   Though I never specifically asked him, everything about him told me that we were his pride and joy. 

Some of my greatest memories of my grandfather took place at Sebago Lake where I would often spend weekends living with him and grandma.  I’ll never forget how every morning; I’d wake up to him singing.  He was always singing or humming some show tune from his most favorite musicals.  It was always a great joy, when he would notice me and my sister and cater his song specifically to us.  After eating the delicious breakfast prepared for us, I’d run down to the beach with his songs lingering in my ears.  It seems so simple but he continues to live in me through those songs for I already find myself singing my favorites to Dave and will most likely sing them to my children if and when I have them. 

 This past Christmas, I gave him a card.  It was just a little something and at the bottom I thanked him for everything and expressed how happy I was to share Christmas with him and grandma this year.  It brought tears to his eyes because he read what wasn’t written but is found deeply within my heart and that is how much I loved him.  His love and appreciation for his family was and will continue to be a constant reminder of what is truly important during our short lives here.  More than anything, I think that is the most valuable lesson he taught me.  

As anyone who has planned a wedding knows, sometimes the smallest detail can cause a mini meltdown.  So far, I’ve yet to experience this but I’m almost positive it is due to grandpa’s unspoken lesson: all that really matters are those you love and not whether you have $500 centerpieces.   As I plan my wedding, I continue to remember grandpa’s face as he danced with grandma on his eightieth birthday.  The love in his eyes as he looked down on her, mouthing the words to the song are ingrained in me.  Then, just in case anyone didn’t see it on his face he declared, “I love this woman” to everyone in the room.  That vivid moment will forever live as one of the best moments in my life.

The stories that we could all share about him would be so varied and heartfelt that if we shared them all we’d be here for weeks.  Emily Dickinson once wrote, “Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.”  My grandfather will remain immortal living vicariously through each of us.  It is within our memories, stories, and lessons that we hold within us and pass down to our children that he will continue to survive.  It is his life, not his death that he would want us to remember so it is with this little tune that I leave you all:

“Good Mornin’, good morning, good morning”

Sunbeams will soon smile through

Good Mornin’, my darlin’ to you.”