G-Pa

This photo of my Grandpa and Rylie was taken last weekend when we were in Michigan. I love it so - the contrast of innocence and experience, young and old, naivety and wisdom. To see someone that I have admired, and has been so dear to me my whole life, hold my child, reminds me of the river of time, the flow of life, and how generation after generation, it all continues. I think of all that my Grandfather has done and seen in his 80 years and how the world has changed since he was born 1931. I remember his look of utter astonishment that gave way to a big grin and his signature giggle when we did our first Skype call to introduce him to Rylie. What will the world be like when I am 80? What will the world be like when Rylie is 80? I call him G-Pa, it's a holdover from my teen years. He loves it and signs all of his correspondence to me in this way.

There are stories of my Grandpa babysitting for me when I was a wee one while my mom, aunt and Grandma were at ceramics class (it was the 70s after all.) And now he babysits my niece, Kenzi, she is the same age as Rylie. I heard he even braves diaper changing, though they sometimes get put on backwards, bless his heart. I remember him pulling into our driveway, in his big Cadillac, to pick my sis and I up for Sunday School. After church we would go to breakfast at the same diner week after week. He would say the same thing to the same waitress each time: "The food and service in this place is exceeded only by the beauty of the help." I wonder if he still says that. I wonder what my Grandma thought about it. She would call him a character. And she was spot on. I was just telling Ryan the other day that I can remember when I was a kid and he had a stationary bike in his basement. He would ride that thing until he was dripping sweat all the while playing Pac Man on his Atari 5200 (it was the 80s after all.)

My Gramps has come to visit me wherever I've lived, which has truly been all over the country: Atlanta, Kansas City, and here he is at our wedding in Malibu in 2008.

These photos below are from G-Pa's 80th birthday this summer. Can you see the family resemblance in all four generations?

There are many things about Gramps that are definitive: he loves his church, he loves his family, he loves his Detroit Tigers (probably in that order, too!) He tinkers, he putters, he hunts for bargains at garage sales. He rides his bike 5 miles to the gym everyday: In Michigan! At 80 years old! Salt of the earth if ever anyone fit that phrase. These photos, these moments at the twilight of his life, are so precious to me and I am incredibly grateful that I am mature enough to appreciate and undertand their significance. I say twilight of his life, but if anyone will make it into Al Roker's club, this guy will.