Sunday, June 4, 2023
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Poppy,
I think many of us tend to take our grandparents for granted. We assume that they will always be there because they always have been. We all know it doesn't work that way, yet we pretend it does as it hurts too much to acknowledge the truth.
You were indeed always there, at every baseball game, every basketball game, every shot, and every pitch. At 17, you take this for granted and don’t fully appreciate how special and rare this really it. It takes a special grandparent to be at every one of their grandchildren’s games, but that is who you were. Always there.
As I look through my phone, there is an absence of photos. It seems I have yet to learn my lesson on assuming you would always just be there. What I lack in physical photos, I more than make up for with memories embroidered in the fabric of my mind. There are certain things that have and always will immediately cause my brain to flash a memory, Twas’ The Night Before Christmas, a golf course, school buses, vintage fire trucks, and Syracuse athletics to name a few. I’ll never forget the words of wisdom you bestowed on us all at my wedding. When asked what the key to a long happy marriage was you replied, “Do whatever she tells you!” Words to live by.
Although we mourn your passing, we take solace in knowing that you will still always be there. When I see an empty chair at one of my kid’s games, I’ll know you’re there, watching every shot, every pitch, and every kick. And when there is no game to attend, I know you'll be up there, teeing off on the most pristine golf course heaven's got to offer.
We Love You Poppy, Rest Easy!
