In January, 6 years will have passed since my Grandfather left us. I am still unable to hold it together when I visit his grave or when I speak about him. I wish to never forget the love he showed me and the memories we made together. He was more of a dad to me than my birth father. My Mom worked hard to build a life for us separate from my father, and as she did so my Grandfather raised me. Flying in from Poland to stay for months on end caring for me while she worked. I was the youngest of the grandchildren, by a lot, and always the apple of his eye. He was a soft-spoken man; I don’t remember ever seeing him angry. Even when I locked myself in the bathroom at the age of 5 and was unable to turn the lock on the doorknob open because i didn’t know my left from my right, he sat calmly on the other side with a screwdriver in an attempt to take the doorknob off (after, what at the time, felt like 20 min I figured how to work the lock and leapt into his arms); Or even when I ripped half the garden plants up for my magic potions. He was an oasis of peace. He was a bee keeper, so he taught me the importance of them. I would help him extract the honey from the honeycombs, collect, and jar it. He taught me to never fear, but appreciate them. Thanks to him I was the one saving bees from drowning in the pool while the other kids screamed. I like to think there’s a piece of him in every bee I encounter. I think the relationship him and my grandma shared is one of the healthiest examples of love around me. Thats all I really have to go on. I never saw them argue, or even be snappy with one another. I remember I attended a family wedding about a a year and half after his passing and my cousin was speaking to my Grandpas sister and crying saying, he promised Grandpa he’d take care of grandma, but he knows he’ll never be able to do it as well as he did. He was the type of person to bend over backwards for his family. He never refused when someone needed his help, sometimes at his own expense, he had some siblings who took advantage of that. His achilles heel so to speak. One of his greatest strengths was also his greatest weakness. I remember the summers he took me swimming at the river with my cousins, how he always sat under the tree and watched, but also joined us to help us jump off the fallen tree in the water. I wish I could extract those memories and keep them forever, as time passes and they fade. I will admire him forever for the person he was. His dedication and loyalty were unmatched. I felt true unconditional love from him. I wish he could see the person I am today, greatly thanks to him. I know he would have been beyond proud to see me get into med school and make progress on my dreams. I know he’s watching from above, but I wish I could see it.
