This, is my grandpa's tractor. I remember the last time he took me for a ride. I was probably nine or ten years old and we rode all around his yard and back through the woods. He even taught me how to drive. I got hit in the face a couple of times by some tree branches, but it was something I will never forget. That moment when he said to me, "Rissa, go grab your jacket. I'm gonna show you how to drive the tractor today!" Today, memories like this flooded my heart and brought tears of joy and of pain.
My grandpa had a major heart attack today, and during the longest 2 hour drive of my life we thought we might lose him. We still aren't totally sure what happened. He is stable, and we are thankful. But it really made me take a step back and remember all the precious moments I have shared with this man I call Grandpa.
Some of my earliest memories are from spending the summers up at my grandparents cottage. The sweet smell of "Up North" and the rustling of trees. Campfires every night, too many marshmallows to count, and the loud clinking of horseshoes. I loved the spiral climbing stairs, and the homeyness of their cabin. I loved camping out with my cousins, and coming up with too many adventures to count. I loved digging in the dirt and screaming every time my feet touched a lilly pad in the lake. I loved getting up early with him to feed the ducks, and coming home to warm blueberry pancakes for breakfast made by my grandma. I loved our watermelon seed spitting contests, hearing him whistle a tune, and most of all his laugh. I loved that he could just look at the shy, impatient grin on my face and know that I wanted him to take me three wheeling. I miss the wind flying though my helmet covered hair as we sped down the dirt roads and through the woods and my mom yelling for him not to go so fast! I remember when he let me drive by myself for the first time and I kept running into a giant tank in their yard over and over again and he would just laugh and laugh before he came to help me.
I remember when he backed his jeep into our van and broke our headlight. I remember when we would go to the moose for breakfast and I thought it was the most amazing thing in the world. I remember when they would get to our house for Christmas Eve and it was like suddenly everything was more fun. I remember Easter egg hunts, and Christmas Eve's and all the special moments a kid should remember at their house. I remember when our power went out and he came and "rescued" me and took me to his house to spend the weekend with my cousins while my parents were home in the cold. I remember hours of picking blackberries back in his woods, and Grandma making blackberry cobbler for all of us. I remember walking down the rows of his garden as he taught me about the plants and we would pick ripe things to eat for dinner.
I remember the tears when I found out he had cancer, and they weren't sure if he was going to make it. I remember the fear of not knowing if I would ever see him being himself ever again. And now, I will always remember today- August 6th, 2012. The day I almost lost my grandpa. I will remember the fear during the long drive, my almost inability to hold back my tears, and I will remember trusting that Jesus would make everything okay in the end. I will never forget seeing my grandma's face when we got off the elevator, and her look of relief and joy when she told us he was stable. I will never forget the long walk back to his room, not sure of how he was going to be. But most of all, I will never forget walking into his room and hearing him whistle a little and his voice saying "Well golle, I didn't think all of you were gonna be comin up here. Well hello sweet girl! How is school? You best be keeping those grades up right?" Those were some of the sweetest, most wonderful words I have ever heard in my life. My grandpa, in the ICU extremely sick, and he still wants to know that I am keeping my grades up. I will never, ever forget that moment.
My grandpa isn't out of the woods yet. They have surgeries to do and tests to run. But I know one thing- I will never, ever forget today. Thats my random thought of the day for you- Don't let these precious, sacred, memories go right on by. Sights, smells, and sounds may seem pointless to remember right now, but one day, you may be clinging on to them and cherishing them more than you ever realized. We aren't promised tomorrow- remember that. Tell someone you love them, give them another hug, because tomorrow may be too late.
My grandpa had a major heart attack today, and during the longest 2 hour drive of my life we thought we might lose him. We still aren't totally sure what happened. He is stable, and we are thankful. But it really made me take a step back and remember all the precious moments I have shared with this man I call Grandpa.
Some of my earliest memories are from spending the summers up at my grandparents cottage. The sweet smell of "Up North" and the rustling of trees. Campfires every night, too many marshmallows to count, and the loud clinking of horseshoes. I loved the spiral climbing stairs, and the homeyness of their cabin. I loved camping out with my cousins, and coming up with too many adventures to count. I loved digging in the dirt and screaming every time my feet touched a lilly pad in the lake. I loved getting up early with him to feed the ducks, and coming home to warm blueberry pancakes for breakfast made by my grandma. I loved our watermelon seed spitting contests, hearing him whistle a tune, and most of all his laugh. I loved that he could just look at the shy, impatient grin on my face and know that I wanted him to take me three wheeling. I miss the wind flying though my helmet covered hair as we sped down the dirt roads and through the woods and my mom yelling for him not to go so fast! I remember when he let me drive by myself for the first time and I kept running into a giant tank in their yard over and over again and he would just laugh and laugh before he came to help me.
I remember when he backed his jeep into our van and broke our headlight. I remember when we would go to the moose for breakfast and I thought it was the most amazing thing in the world. I remember when they would get to our house for Christmas Eve and it was like suddenly everything was more fun. I remember Easter egg hunts, and Christmas Eve's and all the special moments a kid should remember at their house. I remember when our power went out and he came and "rescued" me and took me to his house to spend the weekend with my cousins while my parents were home in the cold. I remember hours of picking blackberries back in his woods, and Grandma making blackberry cobbler for all of us. I remember walking down the rows of his garden as he taught me about the plants and we would pick ripe things to eat for dinner.
I remember the tears when I found out he had cancer, and they weren't sure if he was going to make it. I remember the fear of not knowing if I would ever see him being himself ever again. And now, I will always remember today- August 6th, 2012. The day I almost lost my grandpa. I will remember the fear during the long drive, my almost inability to hold back my tears, and I will remember trusting that Jesus would make everything okay in the end. I will never forget seeing my grandma's face when we got off the elevator, and her look of relief and joy when she told us he was stable. I will never forget the long walk back to his room, not sure of how he was going to be. But most of all, I will never forget walking into his room and hearing him whistle a little and his voice saying "Well golle, I didn't think all of you were gonna be comin up here. Well hello sweet girl! How is school? You best be keeping those grades up right?" Those were some of the sweetest, most wonderful words I have ever heard in my life. My grandpa, in the ICU extremely sick, and he still wants to know that I am keeping my grades up. I will never, ever forget that moment.
My grandpa isn't out of the woods yet. They have surgeries to do and tests to run. But I know one thing- I will never, ever forget today. Thats my random thought of the day for you- Don't let these precious, sacred, memories go right on by. Sights, smells, and sounds may seem pointless to remember right now, but one day, you may be clinging on to them and cherishing them more than you ever realized. We aren't promised tomorrow- remember that. Tell someone you love them, give them another hug, because tomorrow may be too late.
No comments:
Post a Comment