A Great Grandpa

This past weekend my family, Jeremy, and I went to Wichita Falls to visit my grandparents and Aunt and Uncle. The reason for the trip was my grandpa's heart condition, which is worsening.



Sitting in his beloved truck

I love grandparents. I love old people in general. The only frustrating thing about grandparents is that they can't stick around forever. Many times it seems like just when you need them, it's time for them to depart this world.


On a much lighter note, I must say that my grandpa is a ton of fun. He has the craziest stories of anyone I know- if you think you've got a crazy story, he's got a crazier one. He seems to pull these stories out of no where, this weekend ranging from a story about bell peppers to the time that the alligator came back to life in the boat and tried to attack his mother. Usually older people tell the same stories over and over again, but he always manages to find a new one.

While we were visiting, I asked him what he does late at night when he can't sleep(after he told me that he usually only sleeps only 1 hour to 1.5 a night. Envious?) His response was that he thinks about all of his memories, some from when he was just 5 years old. He is in his 80's now, and though his heart is giving him some problems, he's still truckin'. Maybe it's in these late-night sessions that he comes up with his creative tellings of stories. He has mastered this art, there is no doubt.

Recently, God used my grandparents in my life in a big way concerning provision for school. I was overwhelmed with gratitude because of their generosity. When I went to see them over the summer, I regretted not spending more time with them, realizing that it is my responsibility now and no longer solely belongs to parents. Now I am talking to them and spending more time with them than ever, only to find out that the upper chamber in his heart isn't functioning correctly, and his pacemaker isn't correcting it.

That has a way of happening. Often. Life goes along, happy-go-lucky, and bam. You get that phone call. You read the e-mail. Life stops in its tracks. Suddenly what was important 5 minutes ago is no longer even on the radar. The silly arguments you get into with your loved-ones are exposed for what they really are.

Time becomes cherished and guarded.

I was enjoying building a deeper relationship with him, and now I have the constant reminder that any moment could be my last with him. Isn't this true of all of our relationships? Maybe it is a blessing to be aware of that. Certainly we are more cognizant of it with the elderly who have drunk their full of all that life has to offer. When it's our peers, even our parents for some of us, it is difficult to think of our time with them as fleeting.


Time tends to get away from us. I wish I had more time to spend with my grandpa. I have resolved, however, to be thankful for the time and memories that I currently have and do my best to make more.
I'm thankful for scientific advances that have made it possible for my grandpa to live longer because of a pacemaker (it has given me more time), and I'm thankful that God is in control.

This picture is from their backyard. We spent a lot of time out there this past weekend. A weekend that could have been filled with sorrow and mournful thoughts over the potential loss of my grandpa was instead filled with hope, love, and beauty. How wonderful to be blessed with more time.