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Friday, August 21, 2009

tell me about it thursday


i wanted to join sandy @ one day at a time in her meme, "tell me about it thursday," even though it is already friday. each week she gives us some idea of something to post about from our childhood. I feel like our childhood has so much impact on who we are today. so, i am very interested in writing about the feelings and events that took place in my life when i was a kid. i always seem to learn something, about myself or someone that i love very much, when i think back and allow myself to reminisce through my memories.

this weeks theme is "tell about a special grandparent"

there is a picture that i have seen many times coming to my mind right now. i think it is at my mom's house somewhere. it is a black and white picture of me when i was about 1 1/2 sitting on my grandpa beckham's lap. one time when i was looking through these old pictures with my mom, we came across that picture. she told me that my grandpa thought that i was so wonderful. she said that he was so proud when i was born. i wish i had that picture with me right now. i would post it. maybe, i will still post it here some day if i can find it again.

my grandpa did always make me feel like he thought i was so special. he took time to show me that in many different ways as i grew up. when i was about three, he bought me a pony that he kept at his house. he did not keep it long though. i think he got tired of the poop in his back yard. he used to take us, my sister and i, to the store and let us pick out something we wanted and buy it for us. then, he would take us out to lunch. i knew my grandpa did not like to let go of his money, so that made me feel very loved. he would come over to our house sometimes and pack up all of our friends in the back of his pick up truck and take us to the park. he would sit on the bench until we were all ready to go home. then he would pack us up and take us back. the most vivid memories that i have of my grandpa are of him sitting at our kitchen table with his legs crossed, a hat on his head and a cup of coffee in his hand. he would just stop by to visit, usually on saturdays, and we would all sit around and talk. i remember this so well. my grandpa always seemed to think that i was pretty wonderful and he made me to know that he thought that in his own way. he never said, "christy, you're wonderful," but he had some way of making me feel that way.

my grandpa beckham died in 1991, several months before i got married. that was really sad for me. but the one thing i remember thinking the most when i found out he passed away was not sadness for him not being able to be at my upcoming wedding as much as him not being able to be a part of my future children's lives. it seems kind of funny to think that my thoughts would immediately think that way, but they did. i think it was because i had always imagined him being around when i began to have children. i wanted him to be able to see them and make them feel as special as he made me feel. i know he would have if he would have gotten the chance. my grandpa is in heaven today and i know he is as fond of me as ever. ten years ago, aaron and i packed up our family and moved home. we moved into my grandpa's old house and lived there for nine years. i know that he is proud of me and my family. today as i write this with tearing eyes, it still makes me smile when i think of him.

26 comments:

Elizabeth Mahlou said...

Hi Christy,

Nice story. Nice grandfather. Grandfathers were not a positive thing for me when I was young. My father's father died when I was young; all I remember of him is that was always asleep and ignored us kids when we visited. (He actually had a very tragic story that I learned much later: as a child he witnessed his own father's suicide.) My mother's father routinely sexually abused me. Nope, no grandfather story there, either.

Years later, though, I met my husband's grandfather. What a difference! I loved his German immigrant German-English expressions (I can speak some German) and his German immigrant friends who would speak German with me. For a while, my husband and I lived across the street from his grandparents, and Grandpa always made sure that everything mechanical worked. When I, a Mainiac (someone who grew up in Maine) replanted in the Florida sun, became overwhelmed with the amount of sunshine inside our apartment, he found, repaired, and installed an air conditioner although he and Grandma did not have one. Then, when he was building a well and lifting huge weights through a pulley system to drill, his great muscles from his blacksmith days glistening in the sun from the sweat of the work, he offered to let me pull the weights to see how strong I was. A big mistake! The weights weighed more than I did, and instead of the weights going up in the air, I went up in the air. He laughed and laughed as he pulled me down. It seems he really liked his new granddaughter, and I liked him.

~*Michelle*~ said...

OH your grandfather sounds like such a sweet soul.....the buying you a pony is just picture perfect of a grandpa who loves his grandbaby, yk?

Thanks for sharing him with us.

xox

Laura Brown said...

What sweet memories. I lost my last grandparent last year and I must admit that it was so hard to see each of them go home to be with the Lord and leave me here with nothing but memories.

Now that I'm a grandma, I can only hope that I can leave such a wonderful impact on my grandchildren.

RCUBEs said...

Thanks for sharing that wonderful story about your grandpa. You just know that he would have loved your family the same way he loved you. Because he never changed, his love for you remained the same until he went home to the Lord.

Have a great weekend sister Christy. Blessings and love to you.

E @ Scottsville said...

My Granddad is who I would have to choose. In my eyes, he just seems like THE perfect father, husband, man. He's still alive and kickin' at 82 years old, and still in love with my Granny who is also 82. =0)

Such a nice tribute to your grandpa.

Mich said...

Sweet post about a dear man. Grandparents are truly the "grandest" blessings from the Lord. How I miss mine...

Five Moms & A Blog said...

A pony? Every girls dream. What a special grandparent. I too wish that my kids could have known my grandparents on my dad's side. They were not at my wedding either. What a sweet post about a special man.

Five Moms & A Blog said...

That was me...Mimi that just left that comment. I forgot to say thanks for stopping by the 5 Moms today.

Darcie said...

What a sweet post for your Grandpa. The wonderful thing is that even though your kids may not have ever meant their Great Grandpa the memories you share with them will help him live on.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Linda said...

What a blessing to have such a dear Grandpa in your life.

McCrakensx4 said...

Great memories!! Sounds like a fantastic grandpa! I miss my Papa lots...he is dancing with Jesus too!

momstheword said...

What a sweet grandpa you had! My mom's parents were rather quiet and reserved. We knew they loved us but they weren't really demonstrative about it.

My dad's father walked out on their family when my dad was five, and he didn't see him for 40 years. So while I did see him a few times, he wasn't really a part of my life.

So how wonderful for you to have such sweet memories. My kids were very close to their grandpa before he died (my dad) as my husband's dad died before they were born.

Heart2Heart said...

Christy,

It is sad when we grieve about the life of someone in our lives that we were hoping our children would get the opportunity to meet and then circumstances dictate otherwise.

The best thing about it, is the memories and pictures we still get to share to remind our kids of just how special that person was and what they meant to us. In a sense they are still there.

Love and Hugs ~ Kat

Beth E. said...

What sweet memories. Both of my grandfathers died before I was born...I never had the opportunity to get to know them. But, my grandmothers were awesome...I have many wonderful memories of them!

Blessings,
Beth

Kim @ Homesteader's Heart said...

Oh my friend. What a beautiful memory. Very special!!

Beth in NC said...

Awwwww. So precious. I definitely want to see that picture too. He sounds so wonderful.

My daddy LIVES for my daughter. He is hanging on and fighting to live each day because he wants her to remember him. There is just something about Grandfathers and little girls.

Shanda said...

Beautiful. Grandparents have such an amazing position in our lives if they choose to - they don't have to be the disciplinarian and often can speak truth in love that we are more willing to listen to.

Your post made me think of Daveda...praying for her & her family now.

Laura said...

Such a sweet memory! How precious to have had such a tender relationship with your grandpa. I'm so pleased that my boys have a close relationship with their grandparents, it's something I never had.

Bless you, Christy Rose!

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

My grandpa Al was able to know my kids briefly before he passed away. He was a dear, funny little man who gave me many reasons for laughter over the years. I think my dad's, mine, and consequently, my sons get our sense of humor from him. Can't wait to share heaven with grandpa.

Blessed Sabbath rest to you~elaine

Mocha Momma said...

Thanks for joining in with it makes me smile. I liked yours too.

Thanks also for reading my testimony. Part 2 is finished now. It is a bit long, sorry.

Just hoping that readers can glean something from a part of it for their own lives.

Be Back

Mocha Momma said...

What a nice story about your grandpa. He was a wonderful man to make you feel so special. He certainly helped form your life and your self esteem.

You were blessed by the best!

Alicia The Snowflake said...

Oh how sweet! What great memories! Grandpas are such special people. Mine died almost 9 years ago and I still miss him terribly. May we never forget just how special they made us feel!

Hope you have a great week my friend!

wife.mom.nurse said...

he truly sounds like a special man. I love how he made you feel so special.

Beautiful post.

~Julie

Jennifer W. said...

What a sweet story! I was very close to both my grandfathers too.
Jen

Karen said...

I loved this story! I, too, am able to share wonderful and precious memories of both my granddaddies...they each gave the gift of "themselves" to me and I hold those gifts in my heart forever....

Anonymous said...

That was wonderful, Christy!! That made me miss Grandpa too!! I just love it that he made you feel so loved!! I hope I have left a positive impact on your babies...I want to leave that impact in them!!
That is the purpose of the rest of my life, leaving my imprint of loving them in them!! I read your post to Dad and he smiled, it touched his heart too!! I love you, Mom