Posted by Kate at May 6th, 2006

My grandpa passed away last night. I’ve spent the morning going through my memories of him, trying to sharpen their hue. Unfortunately it’s been quite some time since I’ve seen him, not since my high school graduation. And it wouldn’t have mattered much if I had because he wouldn’t have known me anyway…he had alzheimers. This is what I remember. A handsome man with a beautiful smile, just like my mom’s. A beautiful house with a vegetable and fruit tree garden in the back. A mysterious room; pushing through heavy glass beads to get into that room and finding all sorts of asian art…lots of Buddha. I never knew what he was or if my grandfather was Buddhist or not but I loved to rub the shiny bellies and look at the jovial faces. That room led to an asian garden with a pond full of big orange and yellow fish. I could have watched them all day long. For Christmas my grandpa always sent my sister jewelry and me hardback cover illustrated classics. I’m not sure if my mom tipped him off to this but he was so right about us. My name would always be spelled with a C…Catherine…no matter how many times my mother would correct him. It never bothered me. When he would come to visit he would always put me to work. I would get a taste of what it was like to be my mother growing up. The last time I saw him he told us a story about how on Valentine’s Day in elementary school he bought a heart shaped box of chocolates for a girl he liked, incidentally not his girlfriend. When his girlfriend found out she forgave him. His exact words with a devilish grin were, “I should have married that girl.” We all laughed. And one last memory. My mother went to see him in the first years of his sickness and he told a story of how his granddaughter sang at her graduation and how wonderful she sounded.

I love you too, Grandpa.