Sorry it's been awhile. A lot has happened in my little life in the past few weeks, and some of it is a little bit sad. You see, my Grandpa was pretty sick for a long, long time. He really didn't want many people to know because he was such a kind, wonderful person. He wanted to keep fishing and riding his four-wheeler and building Grandma shutters. He didn't want to get old and feel sick anymore.
But one day last week my Mommy and Daddy woke me up real early in the morning and said we had to go quick to see him because it was time to say good-bye. I could tell that they were sad and I was confused because I don't ever see anyone being sad. My daddy was being very nice to my Mama, which isn't anything new, but my mama was pretty quiet while we drove. She even cried once when my aunt called to say, "please hurry". It was a cloudy day. The clouds were very low and sometimes it looked like we were driving right through them. My Mama said it reminded her of a special picture of my Grandpa in his boat, heading out to fish on the lake one misty morning. But something special happened and I know it was because of my Grandpa. My mama saw a little rainbow peak out between the clouds as we drove and it made her feel much better.
We drove and drove and finally made it to the big building My mama got out and Aunt Shannon and Aunt Brandy were waiting for her and they all went inside. Then my Daddy took me to my Uncle Ken's house to play with Carolyn and Erin and Tommy. Late that night my Mama came there too and she told me about my Grandpa smiling when he saw her and talking to her in the place called 'the hospital'. She said that she was glad she got to see him and he looked very peaceful and he rested a lot. She said many, many people who loved him where there too. They were all talking to him, telling lots of stories about his life, singing, listening to his favorite music and even watching the Michigan/Michigan State football game with him, just as he would've wanted. Later that night Uncle Ken and Tommy went there to see him too. My Mama said it was one of the most beautiful things she has ever seen. She said Grandpa would wake up and would say hello to all of the people coming to see him, friends, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters. Everyone would smile and maybe even cry a little. But she said it was okay to cry. I'm not really sure I understand all of this because I'm new, but my Mama said that one time that day my Grandpa woke up a little bit and everyone leaned in to listen. He said, "they're all here now" and he mumbled something that was hard to hear, but he said something about a "smoke screen". She said that everyone felt happy because it seemed like he was peaceful and wasn't scared to go to the special place where the smoke screen was.
I know I am new to the family and all, but I am very thankful to be a part of it. I am learning that, above all else, being funny and being happy are two things that we really, really love to do.
The next morning was a Sunday, and when I woke up my Mama had already gone back to the hospital. Daddy said she went back there to bring food and coffee because some people had slept there with my Grandpa. Some people even slept in their car there because they love him so much and didn't want to be far away from him. Daddy and I played with Uncle Ken, Carolyn, Erin and Tommy that day too and then, guess what? I even got to go to the hospital too, although I couldn't go into where my grandpa was because they said there were too many germs. But my Daddy got to go in to see him and my Mama was glad about that.
My Grandpa went to a special place on Sunday, October 21st 2012 just a little after noon time. It was beautiful and sunny outside and everyone kept saying that it was a great day for fishing, which my Grandpa would have loved. The leaves on the trees were all kinds of beautiful colors and Mama said that it reminded her of being a little girl at her old house where their were lots of trees. She said that Grandpa taught her and her sisters all about nature and loving the country. He loved it when they all would take drives on the dirt roads and through parks. When my Mama was growing up she lived in the country and there weren't any big buildings. There was a lot of grass and fields for cows and corn and soy beans, which doesn't make any sense to me because the place I live has all kinds of buildings and sidewalks! She said that my Grandpa loved life so much that sometimes in the early morning he would even open up his window and shout, "gooooood moooorning America!". My Grandpa was a very silly and happy guy. I can't wait to hear more stories about him.
Everybody said they were happy and sad at the same time about my Grandpa going to this special place. I don't really understand that yet because I think it's sad when people go away, but I know I will understand one day. All I know is that each time someone cries about Grandpa they also laugh, so I know that my Grandpa made a lot of people feel happy.
A few days later everyone got all dressed up. It was a beautiful day and it was even hot like summertime. Great weather for golfing, fishing and playing baseball, my Grandpa's favorite things. People laughed and said that Ranger Tom (his nickname) must have made this weather nice for us all to celebrate his life together. We went to a big party for him and there was even a piñata! My Mama said that was special because they always had piñatas at their family parties when she was a little girl and it made everyone very happy. There were hundreds of people there and it was one of the most beautiful things I ever did see. People were hugging and so happy to see each other. People came from all over! Places I have never heard of: California, Florida, New York, Arizona and lots of other places, just to tell stories about my Grandpa and show him how much he meant to them. The whole room was bright and full of beautiful colors, just like those trees the day he went to that special place...yellow and orange and red, the colors of love and happiness. I didn't even take a nap because there were so many people and I didn't want to miss a second of all the was happening around me.
Grandma, Aunt Shannon and Brandy and mama kept saying that it was just how Grandpa wanted it and you know what, it felt like Grandpa was right there with us. There were all kinds of pictures of my Grandpa and everyone kept saying that it was nice to see him "just as I remember him."
Remember how I told you about that rainbow my Mama saw? Well, we learned that my Aunt Shannon saw a rainbow too, and my mama's cousin took a picture of a little rainbow that she saw at my Grandpa's big party. I remember my Grandma saying, "I wonder what our sign from Grandpa will be?", well, I think the rainbow must be it. My Mama remembers being a little girl and my Grandpa would say, "look for a rainbow," after a good rain when the sunshine would come back out. I think it's my Grandpa's way of saying, "It's ok. It felt gloomy like rain when I went away, but look for the rainbow because now you know that I am not hurting anymore. I am just as you remember me. I'm laughing, fishing, and playing". I like thinking this way because every time I saw Grandpa he was always smiling.
Something else very special happened to my Mama right before my Grandpa went to his special place. A day or two before we left early in the morning to come say good-bye my Mama was asleep. It was very, very early in the morning and still dark outside. She had no idea what the next few days would bring, or that we would soon have to say good-bye to Grandpa. She said that, in her dream, her Dad yelled, "Jessica!", and she opened up her eyes and woke up. She said it wasn't a scary yell, like he was mad. Instead, she felt calm and it was a yell like my Grandpa used to make when she was out in the yard as a little girl, climbing trees or daydreaming in the grass and my Grandpa would yell from the deck, "Jessica! Look at the hot-air balloon!" Mama said she lay in the dark that morning and thought to herself, "why did my dad call me? I hope he is alright," and after a few minutes she went back to sleep. Now she knows that he was just giving her a heads up, "Get ready, Mud-Pie."
I love my Grandpa very much, and now I know how much everyone else did too. I'm a very lucky little lady to have known him and he made this world a better place with his kindness and generosity. I know my Mama tries hard to be as good a person as he was, and I will too. What did we do to have such a wonderful man in our lives? I'm not sure, but I know that his loving soul lives on through our happiness. I love you Grandpa.
Here I am on my birth day with my very special Grandpa Tom
Here's my Grandpa in High School, what a handsome guy
Here's my Grandpa doing one of his most favorite things. What a pretty picture.
This is how my Mama likes to remember him.
This is how my Mama likes to remember him.
