Grandpa
So my grandfather died this last week. He was 93.
I remember going to their house every summer as a kid, staying a couple of weeks. Usually during haying season, riding on the haywagon, playing in the woods, having candy and coffee. Grandma went several years ago, and was probably quite ready to do so. Grandpa was always a little gruff, you weren't quite sure sometimes if he was serious or not about things, but then he'd smile, and you knew he was kidding.
He groomed a tree every year in the woods to cut for Christmas. He loved my grandma. He was always independent. Even as an old guy, mom says he only took two pills a day and had never had surgeries or major illnesses. Couple of days in the hospital after he fell in the house, but that's about it.
They've lived in the same house my entire life. They never had a shower until I was 15; they used the sauna.
Oh, the sauna nights. We were always so glad to spend a Saturday night at the grandparents' house so we could get sauna. Grandma took me, mom took my brothers, and all the guys went solo. Grandpa, my dad, and all three of my uncles. Grandpa was always in charge of building the fire for the sauna.
Yes, a real fire, in a big barrel, with a box built around it filled with rocks. After you wash up, you'd throw water on the hot rocks to make steam. After grandma fell in the sauna one night, he built a handrail to make sure she had something to hang onto.
When grandma died, he was there to hold everybody in line. To hold everybody together. Now, he's gone, and there's nobody to take that place. Two of my uncles are feuding, and one of them apparently has a beef with my mom. I'm hoping that as a grandkid, I can maybe pull somebody together and figure this crap out. I don't want a family war. Really.
Hard to say. But I'm going back tomorrow for the funeral. Wish me luck.
I remember going to their house every summer as a kid, staying a couple of weeks. Usually during haying season, riding on the haywagon, playing in the woods, having candy and coffee. Grandma went several years ago, and was probably quite ready to do so. Grandpa was always a little gruff, you weren't quite sure sometimes if he was serious or not about things, but then he'd smile, and you knew he was kidding.
He groomed a tree every year in the woods to cut for Christmas. He loved my grandma. He was always independent. Even as an old guy, mom says he only took two pills a day and had never had surgeries or major illnesses. Couple of days in the hospital after he fell in the house, but that's about it.
They've lived in the same house my entire life. They never had a shower until I was 15; they used the sauna.
Oh, the sauna nights. We were always so glad to spend a Saturday night at the grandparents' house so we could get sauna. Grandma took me, mom took my brothers, and all the guys went solo. Grandpa, my dad, and all three of my uncles. Grandpa was always in charge of building the fire for the sauna.
Yes, a real fire, in a big barrel, with a box built around it filled with rocks. After you wash up, you'd throw water on the hot rocks to make steam. After grandma fell in the sauna one night, he built a handrail to make sure she had something to hang onto.
When grandma died, he was there to hold everybody in line. To hold everybody together. Now, he's gone, and there's nobody to take that place. Two of my uncles are feuding, and one of them apparently has a beef with my mom. I'm hoping that as a grandkid, I can maybe pull somebody together and figure this crap out. I don't want a family war. Really.
Hard to say. But I'm going back tomorrow for the funeral. Wish me luck.