(no subject)
Very early this morning my grandfather passed away. He was 92 and his body had been failing the past few weeks which had been very hard to watch. My mother and I were staying up and coming into his room a lot last night, and my mom had planned on staying with him all night long to comfort him and give him a few drops of water every now and then to keep his mouth a little moist. She left his room to get some coffee and we were talking for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, and when she came back in his room he had passed.
I have spent most of my life without my father, and in a lot of ways my grandfather filled that role for me. He has always been someone I have looked up to with great admiration, and has been a tremendous inspiration and source of strength for not only myself but my entire family. When my mom left my dad we had nowhere to go, and my grandfather invited us to live with him here. If he hadn't done that, I have no idea what would have happened to us. He has always put the well being of others before himself. He personally helped every one of his children, and even some of his grand children, buy land to live on and raise their families. He owned a dairy during the depression and would always give away milk and cheese and butter that was left over, as well as surplus fruits and vegetables from his garden to needy families. When World War II broke out he served in the United States Navy, and when he returned he married and built the house that my mother and I still live in today. He completed the house entirely by himself except for our well which he had his brother help him with since it is impossible for one person to dig a well. He was also always very accepting. When I was 15 I had a tall mohawk. When asked by my mother what he thought of my hair, his only reply was that he didn't care for it. My grandfather was a very social person and always loved having people in his home. If you have ever been to my house and talked to my grandfather, thank you, he loved that so much.
Losing my grandfather is much like losing a father. This hurts so bad and I miss him so much. I'm going to miss his stories and the way he laughed and talked, and was always happy to see me and talk to me. However, I take comfort in knowing that somewhere today a baby was born. I don't know if it was a person, an animal, or a plant, but what I do know is that it looked up at its mother with the brightest, kindest, and most loving shining eyes. It will always be loyal to its family, and will grow to be a cherished son or daughter, a beloved pet, or the tallest, strongest, and oldest tree in the forest, and I know when it is gone it will be greatly missed.
May you always be at peace, find happiness wherever you go, and be blessed by everything you see, my very loving and very loved grandfather,
Edward M. Hirschfield
Sept. 13, 1913 - Dec. 19, 2005
I have spent most of my life without my father, and in a lot of ways my grandfather filled that role for me. He has always been someone I have looked up to with great admiration, and has been a tremendous inspiration and source of strength for not only myself but my entire family. When my mom left my dad we had nowhere to go, and my grandfather invited us to live with him here. If he hadn't done that, I have no idea what would have happened to us. He has always put the well being of others before himself. He personally helped every one of his children, and even some of his grand children, buy land to live on and raise their families. He owned a dairy during the depression and would always give away milk and cheese and butter that was left over, as well as surplus fruits and vegetables from his garden to needy families. When World War II broke out he served in the United States Navy, and when he returned he married and built the house that my mother and I still live in today. He completed the house entirely by himself except for our well which he had his brother help him with since it is impossible for one person to dig a well. He was also always very accepting. When I was 15 I had a tall mohawk. When asked by my mother what he thought of my hair, his only reply was that he didn't care for it. My grandfather was a very social person and always loved having people in his home. If you have ever been to my house and talked to my grandfather, thank you, he loved that so much.
Losing my grandfather is much like losing a father. This hurts so bad and I miss him so much. I'm going to miss his stories and the way he laughed and talked, and was always happy to see me and talk to me. However, I take comfort in knowing that somewhere today a baby was born. I don't know if it was a person, an animal, or a plant, but what I do know is that it looked up at its mother with the brightest, kindest, and most loving shining eyes. It will always be loyal to its family, and will grow to be a cherished son or daughter, a beloved pet, or the tallest, strongest, and oldest tree in the forest, and I know when it is gone it will be greatly missed.
May you always be at peace, find happiness wherever you go, and be blessed by everything you see, my very loving and very loved grandfather,
Edward M. Hirschfield
Sept. 13, 1913 - Dec. 19, 2005