Time does not "heal". It just dulls that ache that lives inside your heart. Twelve years ago, I lost one of the most amazing men I've ever known, completely unexpectedly. No goodbyes. Just instantaneous loss. A missed phone call with a tear-filled voicemail asking for a call back from my mom, that I noticed while I was heading to a concert in PA. The memories burned so deeply in my brain, I remember the distinct smell of the fields we were whizzing past on the Turnpike. Calling my mom back with no answer, then calling my sister & having my brother-in-law answer & give me the news that my grandpa had passed away. The disbelief. The confusion. The pain. The ANGER. Grief is a confounding thing. It's been 12 years, yet May 28th still stabs my heart... I will forever honor him as the kindest, most humble man. Dedicated to his family. Honest. Hard-working. No nonsense. He never said "I love you". Frankly, because he never heard it from his own family growing up. But that never stopped me from saying it to him- to which he'd always respond, "And I think the world of you too, young one". I was one of 4 grandkids & he was one of our 4 grandparents, so we were "Grandquarters". His wit, & the way he could coin a phrase... So many things about him. His big strong, calloused hands. His laugh. His HOURS long, one-sided 'discussions'. His distinct way with words. His, "Now I'm only going to tell you this one more time...". The joy on his face when he saw my siblings & I perform in dance, choir, band, tennis, hockey, theatre... What a gift it was to be his grandkid. George Robert Stitt - 1930-2009.💗 https://www.instagram.com/p/CPbG5T6DXPV/?utm_medium=tumblr