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
Beautiful, you honored Big Papa with this.