By: Madeline Dunham
Grandparent’s Day is coming up in a few short days! The Mission Generation team wants to thank all of the amazing grandparents out there for investing in the lives of children. To honor grandparents on this special occasion, I wrote about my own grandparents and my experiences with them. I hope it reminds you of some of your own experiences!
My grandpa was one of my favorite people in the world. Growing up, he was the coolest person to me because he was a pilot, drove a flashy old-fashioned car and loved his grandkids a whole bunch. He was a strong presence in my childhood. He and my grandma lived in a house right next to my childhood home. When I was a third grader, he retired and they moved to Florida. For a while I was very sad about him leaving. I was sad no longer when I discovered that we would be able to visit his condo in Florida once a year. When I visited Florida for the first time, I was blown away by how amazing it was. My grandparents had an amazing week planned for us. We went to the beach, ate at the famous “Sunset Deck,” went dolphin watching and watched movies every night. By the end of the week, I was devastated to leave and could not wait until I return again. I did return.
Every summer I got to spend one or two weeks in Florida, developing traditions with my grandparents. In the summer of 2016, I was told we would not be visiting my grandparents. I was confused and upset. Why couldn’t we visit them? A few weeks later, I was told my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer and only had a few more months to live. I wanted to see him desperately, however; he did not want anyone in my family to see the terrible state he was in as he was beginning to die. Several months later, he passed away. I was not doing well. He was one of the best individuals I knew and I did not know how to cope with his passing.
I began to rely on the sweet memories I had with him to get me through the pain of my loss. I finally got to make a trip to Florida again to see my grandma. It was a beautiful trip during spring break. On the trip, we visited the bench where my grandpa’s ashes lay. The bench was surrounded by palm trees, a stunning gazebo, the radiant sun and lots of bright flowers. I smiled thinking to myself, “If heaven is as beautiful as this, I think my grandpa will be okay.” We left flowers on his bench and walked away. I spent the entire drive back to the condo thinking of the eternal life my grandpa was living and I suddenly did not need to feel sad anymore. Give your grandparents a big hug on Grandparent’s Day and fondly remember the amazing Grandparents we have lost!
