until we meet again

It's so strange to think that it was six years ago that my grandfather passed away. It's still such a shock, as it was so unexpected. He hadn't been sick, there was no big accident. Nothing unusual.

I had been in Poland since August, and I was coming home for Christmas. My flight landed in Boston late Friday night. That morning, Grampa had gone into the hospital for a few tests. Apparently, he had a slight case of peunomenia and spent a few nights there, just to be safe. Sunday morning, my sister and I went to see him and he was so good. He was in great spirits, happy and jovial, as he always was. Grammy was with him. He always got a big kick out of those scratch off lotery tickets, so I had brought a few from Poland with me. He scratched them off and won roughly 50 cents on one of them. He gave me the ticket and told me to buy myself something nice with it. I still have the ticket. He was to be released the next morning. Well, I'm not a doctor and I don't know how it happened, but my father woke me up very early Monday morning to tell me that he died suddenly from some complications with the medicines he was on, or the like. I couldn't believe it. I still can't.

My father took my sister, my brother and myself over to the hospital, where my mother and my aunt were already there of course with my grandmother. It was bad. I don't remember much of the day. I assume the wake was the following day, but I really don't remember the entire course of action, it was all such a blur. I think the wake was the next morning and the funeral was that afternoon maybe. We also had a ceremony at the cemetary. My cousin and I both did readings during the funeral mass, but I have no idea what I read. I don't know who was there and what was done. It wasn't the best Christmas we've ever had.

Grampa was my mother's father. My Meme, my father's mother, died six months later, of lung cancer. Somehow, that was much less tramatic for me, maybe because she'd been so sick for so long that it was expected and better for her so she wasn't suffering anymore.

I've been sad today, remembering. Just thinking about all the aspects of the day and the day before and the days after and how much we still miss Grandpa. I'm also thinking how all the memories still make me smile. There are so many smiles to remember and reasons to laugh out loud. My mother tells me how proud Grampa would be of me and of my sister and brother, and my two cousins. He loved politics and would be so thrilled by my being here, and working on the Hill and now for State. So many random make me think of Grandpa. The missing him never goes away, the thoughts of him will be with us always, but usually with a smile.

and until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of His hand....love you always Grampa