in memory

my grandpa jim passed away on friday, january 25, 2008. this was one of the few digital photos that i could find of him. i grew up only 45 minutes away from him and would go to his house every sunday for dinner. here are some of my favorite things about my grandpa:

1. he showed great love towards my grandma shirley by taking great care of her as she slowly deteriorated over four years (ages 48-52) from a brain disease similar to Alzheimer's. my grandmother stayed at home throughout her disease despite being bedridden the last year of her life. my grandpa cared for and had nurses come in frequently. he was distraught until he met his second wife, who was the real estate agent he hired when he thought he would sell his house. i'm grateful that my grandpa met another wonderful woman with whom he's shared the past 30 + years with. they traveled the world: africa, new zealand, alaska, gualopogos islands, etc..., always had a dog (including now) and always remembered birthdays
2. my grandpa met my grandma shirley (his first wife) when they were students together at Cornell University. they met while standing on line in the bookstore and my grandpa offered to carry my grandma's books home for her. i always thought that was the best story (although my mom's parents have a fun story too. just pat and mine is greatly lacking for intrigue).
3. my grandpa served in the navy during WW II and was stationed off the coast of Japan. he saw hiroshima and nagasaki firsthand after the bombs were dropped. as a teenager, i remember looking through his personal photos of the destruction of hiroshima. humbling, indeed.
4. i can vividly picture my grandfather laughing uncontrollably at a punchline for one of his own jokes. often it was a struggle to understand the punchline because he was laughing so hard. this is a trait that most of his descendants (including myself) have inherited. his humor was also present in his quest to teach all grandchildren how to bang on a table with their spoons for food.
5. he was a HUGE civil war buff and read about any book he could get his hands on that dealt with that subject. he also was a staunch republican. my sister and i gave him this as a gift this past christmas. he had declined slightly in recent years and he was like a little child with this gift. he wouldn't let anyone look at it and held it almost the whole time we were together. glad we were able to give him something to smile about. evan also gave him plenty to smile about that night and my grandpa made a point to tell me how sweet my boy is. glad he could be my grandpa some joy.
6. if my grandpa were one of the seven dwarfs, he would be grumpy. however to me, he was genuinely kind. my all-time favorite thing about him is that he would occasionally surprise with an extra big squeeze when i would hug him good-bye.
   

my dear, sweet in-laws sent me a beautiful azeala bush to plant in my yard to remind me of my grandpa. let's all say a little prayer that i keep it alive until spring, as i truly am grateful for another way to REMEMBER my grandpa jim.