in loving memory.
I lost my grandfather unexpectedly about two weeks ago. This is my first grandparent to pass and the first time I’ve dealt with grief of this magnitude.
He was known to most as Ron, to some Ronnie and to a select few Huggie Bear. But to me... he was Poppa.
I loved that you'd always greet me with a hug and a Hello Darlin'. And I loved how riled up you'd get when I'd rub the top of your head or when I'd tell you you couldn't have dessert yet. (We called him the cookie monster for a reason.)
I will miss these moments.
You were a cheeky bugger. Always pestering Grandma and getting into trouble. And for reasons I cannot explain, I'll even miss that godawful, ear-splitting whistle you'd make to get her attention.
You were also very kind and welcoming to everyone, which is evident in the amount of friends you had. (His social calendar was more booked up than mine!)
This is a tremendous loss. Not just for me but for our entire family.
But I do take comfort in knowing some aren't as lucky to have had their grandparents in their lives for as long as I had you in mine.
I am so grateful to have had a Poppa like you. So loving, so supportive and always there. Wherever we asked you to be.
Because you "wouldn't miss it for the world!"
I hate that we didn't get to say goodbye.
