grandparents

I am so sorry I have not written in a long time. I have been busy balancing school, school, school, work and the absence now of Luna. But I have reached an amazing clarity with the Luna situation. I have become able to have my own life all of a sudden, I have been able to stay gone from my house all day if I really want to. I have been able to be with friends for extended periods of time, sit by the creek and not think about when to be home for her. And I am not sad that I feel this way, it just makes me realize that her impact on me was more profound than I realized. However, this isn't to say that I don't miss my darling girl. She will forever be with me.

But here is something that I have been thinking so much about, and it seems to be a topic that goes unappreciated. They are the grandparents. When I was a young child, I progressed innocently through life, always taking advantage of the money that "grandpod" would send me on my birthday, loving the Christmas presents that "grandmom" would give me. I remembered her soft hands and her delicate body, and would remember my grandfather's smell. I would remember how he would give me ice cream sandwiches every time I went over to his house, and I would remember how my "grandam" would play nintendo with me till odd hours of the night.

But honestly, my appreciation for them never penetrated past these simple pleasures of a child. I didn't understand that within these four individuals lay unbelievable life experience, wisdom, and morals. Within these four gems there was so much to tell, so much to share, so much to pass on.

Unfortunately, I lost three of my grandparents while I was very young, so I never really got the opportunity to ask them about life and what they had experienced. I never really got a chance to hear their stories and understand where they came from, I never got to feel the sadness of their experiences, or the excitement of their triumphs. It is something that I have been thinking so much about lately and I want to take this chance to tell everyone something.

For those of you who still have grandparents who are living, take heed of their beautiful minds. For they are dying to share it with you. They have an unbelievable advantage of living a life full of rich experience and opportunity, struggle and love. Seek it out of them. Draw out the wisdom. It will be amazing. I have clung sometimes to my friend's grandparents because I so value the translation of their experiences to influence my life.

I have a dear friend who lives in NY who is suffering the burden of watching his grandfather come to the end of his life. He is in NY right now and his grandfather is in GA, and he is so afraid that he won't get to his grandfather's side in time to really tell him how he cherishes his grandfather. He is so scared that his grandfather will never know. And I know how this feels, the goodbyes in life are something that are so precious and we deserve them for closure. And this is what I say to my friend, know in your heart what you want to say. Know that your life is in some way changed by his presence in it. Even if you don't get to his bedside to relay this face-to-face, he will know. You two share an incredible bond, the bond of family, and family members just know. They can feel the passion and love from one to another.

Keep your head up darling friend, death is a part of life. It is not a disconnect from the world we know, it is a continuation of the life we have been living. He will live in you, and you will live in him always.

Love.