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.