I'll never forget

Dear Grandpa,

I know that I haven�t talked with you in ages. I really should be, considering I always have gone to you for strength. I am sure that you have seen me going through some tough times these past couple months with work. It�s just been a crazy time, especially since Bob has left our team. I never realized how much he did for the team. Now I feel like I need to be him and myself, at the same time. Sometimes it just doesn�t work that way. This is one of those times.

Anyway, the other day Stacy told me about a time when she and her friend, Tracy, were out in New York City at a club. I guess Stacy got this ridiculous desire to jump, so she grabbed Tracy by the hand and they immediately started jumping. It just brought me back to the time when I was visiting you and Grandma, and I took you into your bedroom, shut the door and said, �Grandpa, let�s jump.� I�ll never forget that time, and neither will anyone else in the family. For some reason, Ma loves to tell that story to people. I just remember the expression of confusion on your face. But you went with it, and jumped the best you could. Because I was your granddaughter.

Everything was done because Susan and I were your granddaughters. Everything. And I thank you, because I�ll never forget anything that you have ever done. On the day you passed away, every memory I had of you went through my mind. And I reminisced what it was like to be six again and to go to the carnival with you, Grandma, and Susan. We went on every ride that we wanted to, even the ones we knew Ma and Dad would never let us go on. And we ate food like cotton candy and fried dough that would never have been ordered if my parents were there. I still remember everything. Every hug. Every kiss. Every smile. Every time we got to go to Grandma and Grandpa�s. How I wanted to show you everything I did in school. You were always so proud of everything that I did, whether it was big or small. And I will never forget that. I hold that thought dear. More than anything else.

I miss being around you, but I know that you have never left me. You�re with me always. I love you, Grandpa, with all my heart. And then some.

Much love and hugs,

Kristen