My Grandpa

I have one of the coolest grandpa's in the world! (My grandma is pretty great too!) If you don't believe me, check out his blog. He's put some interesting pictures of his computer art work up. He used to make tons of these and send them out to us. Here are just two examples of the many he's sent me. I keep them all in a file on my computer along with the poetry and stories he's sent me.



When my sisters and I were young my grandpa was a very important part of our lives and he still is. He was always there to encourage me when I needed it and was the father figure I needed when my dad wasn't around. (Not to say that my dad wasn't a good father, he was. He just lived 2000 miles away.) In the sixth grade, I started playing the clarinet. My grandfather was so proud of every accomplishment I made while playing. He came to every concert and many of the parades to watch me play. He even made a deal with me that he would buy a me a new clarinet if I practiced and worked hard. I kept up with my end of the bargain, and so did he. Near the end of my 7th grade year he took me to the local music shop and bought me a wonderful wood clarinet which I still have to this day. I stayed in band all through high school and still play today. Knowing my grandpa would be there cheering me on helped me to stick to it even when it got hard and I wanted to give up.

There are many other examples of my grandfathers love throughout my life. When I left Oklahoma for California, he called me to tell me how much he loved me and thanked me for all the wonderful memories and smiles. At the time I thought he might have been being a little dramatic, but now I can see that he understood that once I left things would never be the same. I don't get to see my grandparents nearly as much as I would like, but I think we are still really close. This last visit with them was wonderful. It was great to see them in their new home, and finally out of the apartment they had been couped up in. I made a promise to them and myself that it would not be as long between this trip and the next before I see them again.

I'm so proud of my grandpa for braving the World Wide Web, for conquering e-mail and chat programs as well as blogger. Knowing that I can chat with him via e-mail at any time is such a blessing. It makes the distance between us seems so much smaller. Of course, it doesn't compare to a real life hug, so I'll have to make sure to keep my promise and visit him often.