Tired Mommy Tales

I was very grateful for Wordless Wednesday this week.  I wanted to share that picture of my Daddy and my little girl in Grandpa’s Gun Room.  I just didn’t want to talk about it…didn’t want to put words to it.

But I don’t know that I could come back here and not mention it.

I lost my Grandpa last week.  To those who didn’t know him, I mean really know, you would have thought he was just a mean ‘ol man who had a tendency to say non-PC things.  But if you were lucky enough to be family or friend, you would have known he was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.  His service in the Army during World War II was a very important part of him.  He loved the outdoors and I think it chipped at a little piece of all of us when he was no longer physically able make his annual hunting trips to Wyoming.

I’m sure all of us grandkids spent time with Grandpa in the Gun Room at one time or another.  I remember carefully weighing ammo while I helped him fill shells.  We have pictures of my youngest sister Jacqie making him “ice cream sundaes” out of tools she came across in there.  So when Brooke joined Daddy in the Gun Room after Grandpa’s funeral, my heart melted.  At first I was preoccupied with keeping her from touching anything.  That was Grandpa’s shrine and I didn’t want to be responsible for harming it in any way. 

When Daddy said “I got her” it was my cue to take a step back and let the new generation of Grandpa and Granddaughter take over.  I left the room, holding back tears.  Luckily, Jacqie went back and took pictures of their fun.

Coming back to Texas has been hard.  Saying good-bye to our families is always hard but this time it just hurt.  I feel like I left my heart in Michigan.