On August 3, 2019, the world lost the greatest man I ever knew. But, he’s not lost forever. You see, this man was a child of God. He believed in Jesus Christ, and one day I will see him again. And for that I am grateful.

Six short days after my grandpa left this world, we had the chance to celebrate his life and remember the man he was. My grandpa taught me many things in this life. Below is just a slice of his knowledge.

I’m not sure anyone will ever fill those cowboy boots.

My grandpa may not have been a man of many words, but he had this uncanny ability to teach me things without even realizing it. He taught me:

The importance of a hard day’s work.
Never say no to dessert.
Some rather colorful language, at a young age I might add.
Everyone is deserving of forgiveness.

But the most important thing he taught me was what love actually looks like.

When my grandpa did speak, he chose his words carefully. But he didn’t always show love through his words. His actions were what made him who he was.

When my grandma got sick, grandpa didn’t even question it. He immediately hired the help he needed to keep grandma in the house she knew, a place where she felt safe. She was never alone and not once did he consider sending her to a home. At the end of every single day he’d sit in the recliner next to her rocking chair and hold her hand. She may have forgotten who we were, but she knew his face. She knew the touch of his hand. And she still looked at him like she was newly in love and starting a life all over with him. She knew exactly who he was. This is love. This is what love is supposed to be like. Unconditional. Strong. No boundaries. Never ending.

Unfortunately, grandpa’s heart wasn’t done working in overtime. A few years later, his oldest son, his business partner, Mike would get sick too. But my grandpa did the exact same thing he did all those years ago with grandma. He opened his home, took his son in and got the care that he would need. He kept him there until the very end, even though he knew the toll it would take on him. Grandpa never did things for himself, unless there was a new Chevy involved. He always took people in and helped them in whatever manner he could.

Towards the end I talked to grandpa a lot about this. His heart was failing. Most people attributed it to the health choices he’d made in the past. But I knew differently. His heart wasn’t failing because of smoking, an extra dessert or two, or even fried chicken. His heart was tired. He was exhausted from continuing to take care of others and saying goodbye to the ones he loved most. I told him it was ok to put himself first now. I knew we were putting him there.

My grandpa was an amazing man. And it’s pretty apparent that I’m not alone in feeling that. I bet if I asked, every single one of you would have a lesson to share of what he taught you. Thank you for loving my grandpa so well.

Grandpa, I’ll see you again one day. For now, hug your son, kiss your wife, smoke a cigarette with TJ and Virginia… and try to calm grandma down when you tell her you let a dog in the house for the last 4 ½ years.