MonuMental

It’s a  special man that brought us here today

we’ve been so blessed, with the fellowship and fond memories,

many of us for our entire lives 

with the love and joy of spending time with my grandfather, 

we’ve come to share one last moment, and show our love for him one more time

My grandfather represented to me so many things

He always brought me back to another world during another time

older times

with values like hard work, honesty, simplicity, 

things that never become unpopular or go out of style

My grandmother and him in so many ways were examples to the world

in how we should care for each other, in ways that two people affect the lives of so many

he’s the last of my grandparents,

and with his passing concludes four of the most special people in my life who have moved on beyond this world 

and taken a world of love with them

Big Papa as we called him was gentle in his ways and strong in his beliefs

one of the many ways I see his example and am proud to have him all these years

I always liked to see him and my grandmother (because seeing one always meant seeing the other) 
and that dedicated love, again, is something I so love about them

but it really was in the more recent years

where they needed a little help sometimes

that my time with them became even more special 

For the first time I could really DO something for them

and it made me enjoy my time with them even more than I ever had

My sister and I will always remember my grandpa’s jokes, and his playful ways 

as some of the things we’ll miss most about him

Any meal I’ve ever eaten with him ended in a full force effort to give him as much and many desserts as our Noni would allow

because it made you happy to see him happy

even through his weakest moments he’d still perk right up over something sweet

my father and I recently one night helped feed him, having trouble understanding what he wanted and wondering if how well he understood what you were trying to do – but we said Papa how about some ice cream
and he said “oh yeah I’ll take some ice cream”

I always joked with him about being so good looking and wishing I had gotten a little more of that

And his smile and the sound of his laugh are two things I don’t think I’ll ever forget

it’s hard to do justice to someone that you and everyone that You love, cared so greatly for  

but to remind ourselves of the many fond memories we all have of my grandfather

is a gift in and of itself

may those good times be stirred

and sit forever in your hearts

as we remember someone so special