a note

Dear Grandpa-

We miss you already. We all really miss you.

We were just at the pool and Bennett said, "I miss Grandpa. I wish I could go see him.", and I said, "I know, me too." And then he said, "I guess I have to wait until I get to Heaven, right?", and I said, "yes, but you can talk to him whenever you want. I do.".

Even though I have been trying to prepare myself for this day for a while I still (selfishly) was not ready. I am spending a lot of time being thankful, but I have to be honest and say that the waves of sadness hit and they are bigger than I imagined they would be.
Waves of memories have been coming too, though, especially when looking at pictures...and they are all good! Right now this is what I am thinking....
Thank you for stopping by my bus stop in your super cool (back then) Lincoln Town car on your way to work to tell me to have a good day at school. Thanks for later helping me learn to drive in that same car.
Thanks for coming to watch me play softball and dance.
Thanks for coming to pick me up from college- I can still remember the look on your face when we started moving shoe boxes. :)
Thanks for listening to us when we were only little kids, when we begged you to stop smoking after going to a D.A.R.E. program at school because we didn't want you to die.
Thanks for letting me and Mo play accountant, even with the Black Warriors and your special paper.
Thanks for always making me feel extra special.
Thanks for somehow knowing when I was a new Mom that I needed company. I'll never forget the happiness I would feel when that same Lincoln Town car would pull up in my driveway just in time to feed Elise or some hungry twins their baby food.

Thanks for loving David like you did, and for being his Grandpa too.

 And thanks for loving my kids, and for never forgetting their M&Ms. :)

Love you,
Nicole