Rest Easy...

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."  

-Unknown

My grandfather, Joseph Smith, passed away today - 14 months shy of reaching a century here on Earth.  To say this man was remarkable is a huge understatement.  Kindness radiated from his being, generosity poured from his soul.  He always seemed to know more than he would let on and would whip out his sharp sense of wit and humor when you were least expecting it.  He was dedicated, joyful, and genuinely present in his life.  He knew what made him happy and he did those things to the fullest.  He certainly was "Joe Cool."

  
It was his way, his manner, and his attitude that was so endearing to everyone that interacted with him.  He was easygoing and had a certain peace about him - like he was fulfilled.  Just thinking about how much this man experienced in his life is baffling - 98 years - that is amazing.  Born during World War I and lived through the great depression, served our country in WWII... and on and on.  He was never very vocal (at least with me) about his personal opinions, views on political issues, etc but that sure would have been interesting to know...

My grandparents on their wedding day.

I'm struck today by the odd things I remember about Pop Pop - the sound of his laugh, the high pitched squeal of his hearing aid when you hugged him, the sound of his dry hands on the steering wheel of his car, his hats, always telling me to "ABC" (always be careful) and to study hard in school, the caring way he interacted with my grandmother and the fact that they were truly so in love, the way he would always (no matter what) finish every bite of food on his plate, and hearing my grandmother yelling "Joe!, Joe!, Joe!" louder and louder while he just sat there and smiled to himself - I swear he heard her the first time and waited until she got flustered just for fun....

1981 - That little one is me!

1982 - I love this one of me and Pop Pop

1986 - With Amy and Michael

1988

1990

This is one of my favorite pictures.  2001

My grandfather was a member of the Masons and enjoyed the comradery with all the other men during their meetings and events.  Both me and my sister were introduced and involved in the daughter organization, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, because of him.  It was an amazing experience that truly helped me evolve during my teen years into a young woman with leadership skills and a heart for philanthropy.  My grandparents were my biggest supporters during Rainbow events and I could tell he was just so proud to have both his granddaughters enjoying something he loved so much.

At Grand Assembly for Rainbow - 1998

It is difficult to say goodbye to someone you feel has already been gone for so long.  Due to a long battle with dementia, the person I knew has been absent for awhile now.  This last chapter is closure on feelings that have been kept lingering in a really weird place.  It doesn't make it easier, but almost harder because the memories you want to hold dear in your heart seem like so long ago.  

My grandparents - Christmas 2004

Chuckling the entire time he was playing with this remote control car - so funny.

I am grateful my grandfather was able to meet and hold Lillia and I hope he was able to understand (maybe on some level) who Erin and Halle were.  My grandmother would tell me stories about how he would talk about "the twins" randomly and so I wonder sometimes if he knew (but hey, there are SO many twins in my family he could have been talking about lots of people!! - but I like to think it was about Erin and Halle).

Meeting Lillia - 2011

More than anything, I hope he knew, realized and truly grasped how important he was to those around him and the legacy he created.

After you, I'll be first.

Rest easy Grandpa.  Love you.