He serves with three of his brothers in the military. One does not come home.
He meets a senior, who is 16, at the bus stop in west Texas. He drives her heart straight to the church. They're married.
They're the first to leave the farm for the big city - Kansas City with 2 children in tow.
Their third is born there.
He does the unthinkable for the times - cooks dinner and grocery shops. If times are good, he brings home a Mr. Goodbar.
His wife is ambitious. She wants to sell real estate. He doesn't say no or tells her that women don't own their own businesses. He does what it takes.
He is a man of few words. But when he speaks, everyone listens.
He lets his oldest granddaughter believe he moonlights as Jim Davis, Garfield author. She tells her whole third grade class that she's related to Garfield.
A smoker since the military. He quits cold turkey. The youngest granddaughter finally did what the others could not - convince him to quit.
He is told to get his house in order. He has cancer. 26 years later, he laughs.
The family has never seen him cry until his first great granddaughter dies.
His wife loses her memory. He spends every day telling her how to do the simplest things and answers her questions over and over...
Now, he tells his stories all the time...Get comfortable. You will be listening for a while.
So when the VA doctor tells my parents that he doesn't know how much a heart can hold, I know he speaks the truth. He just doesn't know the size of my Pa's heart.
1 comment:
That's your grandpa for sure! What wonderful man!
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