... Been sitting here for more than 20 minutes trying and I can't add a thing to that. I am hopeful and optimistic that I have plenty to offer still, but it breaks my heart that anyone who now enters our lives cannot know them. We have stories, pictures. beautiful things they made. It doesn't make you feel the strength and love of our Grandpa, or the incredible peace that Grandma had, or that unflappable optimism of our Mom. They will just have to take our word for it, which sounds empty when words are so hard coming.
Our oldest was only 18 months old when my Daddy died, so none of my kids ever really knew him. They only know what I've told them, and what Mama has told them. But I think I've shared enough stories that they've gotten a good picture of the fine man he was. Mama was a part of their lives until 5 yrs. ago when the Alzheimer's symptoms began. She used to come up at least once a year and spend two or three weeks with us. Now they only see her when we all go down which is only every other year.
SSQ's parents were alive until 1998 and 2000, respectively, but they never were a big part of the kids lives, again because we lived so far away. That's one of the reasons we loved going to Perdido Key every year. They got a chance to see them for a week. Grandaddy taught our older 2 boys to play poker and loved playing with them.
The best thing we can do is share with our kids what our parents were to us, especially the good things, so it will help the kids to know them and have a better idea of why we are like we are.