At the beginning of the school year, in September, I attended a school program for the handing out of bus patrol belts. It was in the gymnasium. I sat next to a grandfather, the father of a close friend of mine. He’s the grandfather to one of my oldest daughter’s best friends. We chatted. He and his wife visit often, so through the years, I have gotten to know him. He is quiet, but funny when he speaks. His love for his grandchildren and his family shines. Trying to amuse my youngest during this presentation of belts, I let B play around with my iPhone, which could amuse him for hours. He snapped some photos of our friend while we sat there.
Recently, that grandfather discovered that he had Stage IV lung cancer. The doctors said six months.
Yesterday morning he passed away. Unfortunately, there wasn’t six months.
There never seems to be enough time. But in the end, it’s not that there isn’t enough time to get through all those “to do” lists. It’s that the time is ending when all you want is more time with family and loved ones, more time with friends, more time to laugh, more time to love, more time to live. In the end that’s all that matters.
I always wanted to know the story of his tattoo and I never asked. I should have asked. I had promised to do some family photos for my friend and her father, for the grandchildren. We talked about it only a week ago.
We thought we had more time.
by Aileen
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