I have hardly anything from my Grandpa. When I was just a toddler, he passed away from heart failure. Mainly what I have from my Grandpa, is memories. Memories of his love for me. I can remember my Grandma and Grandpa opening the door to their house, greeting us into their warm, cozy home. I can remember Grandpa scooping me up into his arms for a loving, soft hug. I can still feel the bristles from his beard brushing up against my cheek. I’ll forever treasure that memory.
I remember a date I once went on with my Grandpa. We went to a Chinese restaurant, and I got sweet and sour meatballs. I don’t remember much of the actual date, but I remember thinking how special it was that he went on a date with me. After we ate, we drove back to their house. We both walked slowly up the sidewalk to their stairs, embracing the special moment of Grandfather with Granddaughter. He laughed as I held up a miniature umbrella the Chinese restaurant gave me. I soaked in his smiles and laughs as I continued to put the tiny umbrella over my head, protecting me from any rain on that overcast day. My Grandma came out to take a picture of us, and I remember him leaning down to my level for the picture. His face looked like it would burst into a hearty laugh at any moment, and his cheeks were bright red from smiling. I still have that picture of us, the only one I know of with just the two of us. I’ll forever treasure that picture.
There’s one other thing that I have of Grandpa. I have a heart. A glass heart that says, “Let all that you do be in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14. I pick this glass heart up often, but I’m always very careful to make sure I don’t drop and shatter it on the floor. If my memories about Grandpa fade and grow dull, I’ll still have a heart from him. It may seem useless to hug a cold glass heart, but somehow it brings me comfort whenever I’m missing him. He left behind a secret message for me, a last wish. A gentle reminder to let ‘all that you do be in love’. I’ll forever treasure this glass heart he gave me, and I’ll especially always treasure the message he left behind.
Kayla Joy
