Saying Good Bye

Today we said good bye to Brian's grandpa Bill. The memorial service was a beautiful closure for all of us, held at Carrie's, the Grand Mesa stunning as a backdrop.

The memories shared today were heart warming and eye moistening. My favorite... their first meeting...

Grandma's friend had been bugging her for a while about going on a blind date finally she agreed. Grandpa, of course showed up, but as the other girls date. As they all tried to pile into a 3 seater car, grandpa told grandma she could sit on his lap..."I told him I wasn't that kind of girl!" He was so taken with her that he showed up, unannounced, on her doorstep two days later, and the rest is history.

Carrie shared beautiful memories of her grandpa, "I met my grandpa on a hot summer day 37 years ago...I don't remember that meeting, but I remember him smelling of Kool cigarettes, and I remember his huge hands...The last time I saw my grandpa was a hot summer day." I loved her story of him being a prankster... On one of their summer visits she offered to buy him and grandma ice cream, and as they pulled out of the drive, he began inviting all the neighbors. When she said she didn't have enough money to pay for all of them, he told her she'd have to give up her ice cream in order to buy theirs... but when they got there he paid for them all, complete with an ornery chuckle.

Dillon shared about how wonderful it was to have grown up with his grandparents here, as they moved to this side of the mountain just after he was born. He shared how no movie night would be complete with out grandpa's glass of milk filled with popcorn, eaten with a spoon.

I had the privilege of reading for Amy {she didn't think she could get through it}, I didn't think I would have a problem reading her memories... memories of being pushed around on the floor mop in their used furniture store, memories of having to link arms and hold the old car door closed as they went around the corners. How her dad called her babies "little wheels" {because they are casters}. But I began to waver when I got to her sharing what a loving father he was, how he told her she was pretty, even when she wore glasses and had braces. Her closing line "I will miss you dad, and love you forever" got caught in my throat as I attempted to quench the sob that was rising.

Grandma Ruth did amazing today. I can't imagine having to say good bye to my husband and having to continue on with out him. She told Carrie, "No wife wants to see the love of her life for 62 years, suffer and live like that."

I think that's a good note to end on...