Besides the point that I don’t write nearly as much as I’d like, thought it’d be good to post a quick share.
Tomorrow I’ll be joining my mom and brother on a brief trip to Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Now this may not seem like a monumental announcement or a big deal to anyone, but we’ll be visiting family (aunts, uncles and cousins) that I haven’t seen in 9 years.
The catalyst for initiating this 6 day journey was the passing of my grandpa, George Ward, my mom’s dad. I was never close to him and didn’t really know Grandpa George all that well. Living 3,000 miles away in Washington for the majority of my life may have had something to do with that. Thing is, Grandpa George was the only grandfather I had. My own dad’s father died at age 42 when my dad was only 12.
I have a few fond memories of Grandpa George though. I remember him reading The Night Before Christmas and writing me letters with intentional spelling errors for me to correct and send back. I remember his boisterous laugh and a knack for storytelling. Grandpa George was not a great man, and he was quite far from perfect, but this is how I’ll choose to remember him.
And so while we’ll be traveling to commemorate the passing of a family patriarch, I am eternally grateful for the chance to connect with aunts, uncles and cousins I’ve missed so dearly over the years.
