Learning and Remembering

The kids all have pictures of family in their rooms, and after Cory's dad passed away in November, specifically requested pictures of Pa.  The other day, Paige was "helping" me straighten up a few things in Ian's room, and she noticed the pictures Ian had on his nightstand.  She walked over and picked up a picture of Pa with his arms around Elise and Ian.  She looked at it for a minute and started pointing at Pa.  For just a minute, I was hit with a wave of sadness to realize that she never really got the chance to have any memories with her grandpa.  I felt like as she looked at that picture, that I was introducing her to someone she really didn't know yet.  And just as quickly, I realized that it was up to me to make sure she came to know him.  So I told her, "Oh, sweetie.  That's Pa.  Can you say 'Pa'?"  She babbled in baby talk for a minute and then said, "Pa."   For several minutes she looked at his picture, pointed to it, and said "Pa" several times.

My heart hurts to know that he is gone and that she won't have the chance to get peanuts out of his blue cooler when he visits, write on the notepad he keeps in his pocket or have him pull her up to sit on his lap.  But we will tell her stories about him.  We will sing the songs he sang to his children.  We will remember him.  And we will give her our memories of him.  And through those, she will know him.  Both my grandfathers passed away before I turned three, so I didn't have much time with them in this life.  But my parents kept them alive for me.  They talked about them often, told me stories about them and shared their memories of them with me.  And I feel close to both of them, as if I'd had much longer to spend with them than I did.  I feel like I know them.  Because, in a way I do.  And most importantly, I love them and I know they love me too.  And I know that Paige will know and love her Grandpa too.  In fact, she's already starting to. I am so thankful that families are forever.