What's New? #3

Among the many changes over the last couple months is my grandpa's passing. He and my grandma lived in Stanton, CA at Quaker Gardens Senior/Assisted Living until she passed away in March 2011. He was still living there until he passed away on August 10.

His health has kind of yo-yo'd over the past few years. He's gone through major health scares to pretty healthy for a 90-something. He was put on hospice sometime this past spring, and he was pretty stubborn for quite a while and stuck around longer than they thought he would.

It's really hard to talk about this. As he got older, he was less talkative and much less active, but growing up he was always taking my sister and I for walks around the block, or on trips on the Blue Line, or pushing us on the swing in their backyard (until the tore the big tree down, of course!). He always had funny things to say. For example, he told me that I needed to eat the crusts on my bread so that I would grow hair on my chest. Then he would say, "That's what my dad told me when I was a little girl." Oh, grandpa. He was laughing all the time.

I think that was my favorite thing. His laughter, his joy for life, his vibrance. He was the kind of grandpa who would climb up onto the top bunk of our bunks beds with us, just because.

Even though I live so far away from where he was living, it is hard knowing that when I go back to visit in California, he won't be there.

This all happened amidst the new job and prepping for the school year. I actually postponed my trip down to California in order to sign my new contract. I would have arrived in California the evening of August 8 if I had still been working at SJA. But due to the new job and signing my contract on August 8, I didn't arrive until the evening of August 10, and he passed that morning before I got down there. My vacation was originally for fun, but then it became about being in town for his funeral and back in time to get my classroom ready for school. Unfortunately, there wasn't a funeral while I was down. So I still feel like there's a lack of closure. It's frustrating, but I can't honestly say I'm surprised. I wasn't able to be at Grandma's funeral, either.

I love you Grandpa, and I look forward to seeing you again someday in Heaven.