My Grandpa

My Grandpa passed away on Thursday morning. He was a good man and a strong man, as evidenced by his 20-year battle with Parkinson's disease. Upon reflecting on his life, I am amazed at the inner strength both he and Grandma exhibited. Grandma had cancer and had a limp and other ailments toward the end of her life. Grandpa lost his ability to walk, eat, and it was even difficult for him to talk over the course of the last decade. Through it all, both of them remained positive. I never heard either of them complain about their lot in life. They found things to keep them going, and I believe they concentrated on the things that they could do rather than what they couldn't.

Grandpa loved the Twins. The day before he died he watched a baseball game. I don't think there was a more loyal fan out there. Winning or losing, Grandpa was a fan.

Another strong memory of Grandpa is how fast he could move around on his motorized scooter. Just this year at Christmas, he was leading us through the nursing home to get to the room where we were holding our family Christmas celebration. We were walking as fast as we could to keep up with him, but he kept getting farther and father ahead. At one point, he stopped, turned his scooter around and looked at us as if to say, "C'mon you guys! We've got places to go!" He really valued his mobility, and I think that kept him going for a long time.

My sister said it best when she said his death is bittersweet. It's sad to know he's gone, but we rejoice at all the walking, talking, and eating that he's doing in Heaven. Best of all, he and Grandma are back together! What a reunion that must have been!