Well, I was scheduled to fly back to HI yesterday. I am currently not en route. I had to change my plans due to something I had hoped would never happen. But, of course, these things eventually do...
My mom got a call in the morning from her sister. It's strange for my aunt to call so early, but I already felt deep down in my heart that I knew the reason she was calling as soon as the phone rang. My grandfather passed away that morning. Watching my mom take the news was one of the worst things I have ever witnessed.
Even worse was watching my grandmother when she saw him in the coffin. It brought everyone in the room to tears, and I don't mean a tiny trickle down the face. Everyone was sobbing listening to what she was saying and how she sounded. It was the sound of someone's heart being ripped from their chest. Truly awful.
Since my family is catholic, we had a very catholic wake, mass & funeral, and internment. Also, since my Gpa was in the Army during WWII, there were several Army guys on hand at the internment to play taps and fold the flag to present it to my Gma. LB and I missed the internment- he had to nap- but I heard it was touching. During the mass, my sister and I were asked to play "We Have Been Told". She sang and I played the piano. I didn't think I was going to be able to do it, but strangely sitting in front of the piano was the only time during the entire mass that I wasn't constantly crying (I blame the preggo hormones). It was the perfect gift that we could have given him.
When I was 10 (this isn't a side-note... I have a point), my other grandfather (my dad's dad) died of a heart attack. I remember going to the funeral and being truly sad about it, but after the funeral, I remember thinking that if my other grandfather (my mom's dad) died, it would be very traumatic to the family. Gpa was the head of the family- he was the foundation that brought us all together, even after he died. And it was even worse than what I imagined at 10.
It was a rare week. My family decided to drive to SC from NH, taking two days. The roadtrip was stressful, but fun. LB cut another molar, and I was just plain old exhausted and cranky and stiff from sitting for hours. It took awhile, stopping to change LB and to get food. But it was a fun time, probably one of the few times we'll all take a roadtrip together. Also, this was the first time in many years that the entire family was brought together. Someone was always missing for a wedding or reunion or party, but this time every cousin and every uncle and every aunt were there.
My oldest cousin gave the eulogy at the funeral, and she took the words out of my mouth. Since I don't remember word for word, here's the gist. Gpa wasn't just a pharmacist or a soldier- he was a grandpa, a father, and a husband. He always made sure he had a special bond with everyone in the family. We had a lot of good memories together with Gpa- the butterscotch candies he always had for the grandkids, the good italian food (especially the homemade sauce), the way your glass was always cleaned and dried and put away before you've even finished your drink, walking on his back as kids, calling everyone "Charlie!" and calling Gma "Butch!", and always saying before every meal "Thank you, God, for bringing us all together."
I love you, Gpa, and I will miss you terribly.
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