Birthday Wishes

Today is Grampa's birthday.

10 years ago my dad threw Grampa a surprise party. Coming from a family of 11 children, that birthday party, all the way into his 70s, may have been his first. We kept Grampa busy in the back of the house with a repair project while family filed in from out of town. When all had arrived, we brought Grampa to the living room where he truly was surprised.

Grampa has been gone just over two years now. A brain tumor was discovered in October 2002, the doctor's giving him just six weeks. I was sure these doctor's were mistaken. It didn't seem possible that six weeks was enough, even though on the day of the diagnosis he introduced me as his niece, somehow forgetting that I was his oldest grandchild. He deteriorated quickly, the doctors were right on with their prediction of six-weeks.

We miss Grampa. My challenge now is to keep the memory bright and fresh for my kids, who were just 3 and 5 when we lost him. We often talk about his drawings of Mickey Mouse and various farm animals. We couldn't pass a sandy beach without him leaving his signature mark of the beloved Disney character.

Today I am especially missing our BLTs. In the most recent years I would drop in to visit him and Grandma with my two little ones. Without missing a beat, ingredients and aromas of BLTs would fill the kitchen. Grampa wasn't full of hugs and kisses or I Love Yous. His showering of affection came (and was always well received) through plates piled high with fried prawns, Swedish pancakes, freshly sliced salami (or liverwurst for JP), whatever our young tummies wanted.