The Day My Grandpa Left...

Kendrick Campbell

I remember every other weekend you would pick me up from my house and always tease me about taking forever. When I would climb in the backseat you would hand me a bag of candy. You always knew my favorite. We would sing songs all the way down to Riverdale Road. You would show me the "shortcut" way to skip out on the nasty traffic into I-15.

I remember spending the weekends at your house; we would pick the apples in the summer. On Sundays you always made me the best toast with raspberry jam on it. You would either throw in a lasagna or, on winter nights, you would make the best macaroni noodle soup. During the fall I would look around the garden and pick the best candidate pumpkin for my carving in October.

Summers were the best. I would go up to the cabin with you and we would just sit on the grass and talk and talk. We would float down the river. You always had the best lunches for us! For dinner it was always hot dogs. I didn't like them much but I always ate them for you. Later we would sit around the camp fire and just watch as the wood would burn down to charcoal. He would roast marshmallows, some would catch on fire, those were your favorite.

The last time I saw you I wanted to break down and cry at your bedside. I hated all those monitors you were hooked up to. The way you squeezed my hand when you woke up. I was too afraid to say anything because I didn't have the voice inside me. It took my breath away seeing you in so much pain. I couldn't sleep that night... I knew It was the last time I was going to see you and I cried all night. Grandpa, I miss you. You are one of the strongest people I know! I have never seen you in so much pain before. God gained a fighter! I love you grandpa! I hope you get to meet my son before I do.

*After the funeral*

Seeing him go was one of the hardest things. I miss my grandpa so much. I cry because he is gone, but I also cried because he finally isn't suffering anymore.

Grandpa, I have so many memories with and of you. So many that when I went up yesterday to say them, I couldn't pick my favorite one. We always used to pick your apples from the apple tree. I would always climb high, even though you didn't like me to, to pick the biggest and best ones. We would pick your cherry tomatoes and eat them like candy.

You would listen to me play your untuned, very old piano. No matter how bad it would sound, you would still love to hear me play. You never would let me leave your house without a huge goody bag and drink. I always thought your basement was Haunted (because I thought it was old). You always told me, "Well don't go into the cellar then." I would go anyways.

Yesterday when I saw my grandma, aunts, uncle and my dad gather around your casket to say one last good by after you were laid to rest, my heart was full. I smiled. I knew you were happy. I knew you didn't want us to cry anymore, right when I felt that, my dear aunts said "It is time to stop being sad. He wouldn't want us to be sad. It's time for the real party to start."

I will forever miss you grandpa. I won't forget anything you have taught me. I will especially always remember our time together. I won't forget when I sat by your bedside during your hardest time. I love you!

I wish I would have spent more time with you... more time to know you more. You were an amazing man grandpa!