It has been an extraordinarily hard few weeks. About two weeks ago, the only grandfather I have ever really known passed away. He had been in poor health for a long time, and in all honesty, we never expected him to make it out of the hospital the last time he was admitted. But he pulled through and seemed to be doing much better. His mind seemed to be sharper than it had been in recent years, and although he was on oxygen, he really seemed to be in good health (relatively speaking, of course) and in good spirits. Earlier in the week he took a sudden downturn and was admitted to the hospital. While there, he contracted a blood infection - MRSA - and his immune system just couldn't fight off this last infection. So on Thursday, my grandfather, my beloved Da, passed away in North Little Rock.
Da was one of those people who never seemed to have a negative thing to say about anyone. To me, he was everything a grandfather should be - he was caring, almost to a fault. He was one of the most patient men I've ever met, which he had to be to survive spending sixty years with my grandmother. Kind, gentle, just a true Southern gentleman. The night before he died, I called his hospital room and got to speak to him for a moment. I got to tell him I loved him, and he seemed to know who I was and he told me he loved me too. From a completely selfish perspective, that is all I could ask for. There was so much more I wish I had time to say to him, but all of what I wanted to say could be encapsulated in that one simple phrase. I was incredibly lucky to have such a man in my life.
His funeral was beautiful - Da looked like he had just gone to sleep, and my cousin Hayley and I both remarked that he looked like he was just about to begin twiddling his thumbs (Whenever Da sat down, he invariably did that at some point). It was an incredibly tough weekend for everyone involved, but I take solace in the fact that he was the longest-lived member of his family (he was in his early 80s). He worked his entire life to provide for his family, he traveled, he saw the world, and spent his entire adult life with my grandmother. He doted on his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. It may be a cliche, but all of us were incredibly lucky to have such a man in our lives. He brightened the lives of everyone around him, and I was lucky to love a man so dear.
It has really been a tough spring for my father and aunt. Before losing their father, my dad had to have his beloved labrador put to sleep. Soon after my grandfather's death, my aunt learned her dog has an inoperable tumor in her mouth. Next, violent storm systems have crashed through central Arkansas, and my parents narrowly missed being hit by a tornado and a tree fell on my grandmother's shed from all the strong winds - narrowly missing her house. It really has just been one thing after another for everyone.
Throughout all of this, though, I really learned to appreciate the strong family I have. It was an incredibly tough period, but having everyone around really made it easier. Nothing is harder than being alone in times of despair and crisis, and I think that being around my family tempered the inconsolable pain of losing someone we all loved so much. It's terrible that it takes such tragedy to remind you how lucky you are to have such a strong, loving family, but that really hit home for me during this ordeal. Again, it may be a cliche, but with all the stories you hear about broken families and broken homes, I count my blessings that I have been blessed with such a close-knit, loving family. Life is hard enough as it is, and having such a loving community of brother and cousins and parents and grandparents makes everything so much easier.
Da, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you at the end, but I cannot express how lucky I was and am to have you as my grandfather. You were the best grandfather any grandson could ask for, and I only wish that everyone had the opportunity to know you. Rest in peace, until we meet again.
