Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving, November 22nd. This year, Thanksgiving has an even deeper meaning than usual. Today is the second anniversary of the day my dear grandpa passed away.

Grandpa was my hero. He taught me so many things that have made me who I am today. He was my source of unconditional love.

After he was disagnosed with cancer, it was about a year before he was gone. He fought hard, he wasn't ready to go. He took every treatment the doctor's recommended, he still had a lot of life he wanted to live.

It was in September I think when Mom took my Grandpa and Grandma out fishing for the last time. Grandpa wasn't feeling too well and asked Mom to take him into the VA. He was admitted for some treatments.

At that time, I was working planning programs for kids. One program involved making teddy bears. The kids were given a star and I told them to make a wish and put the star inside the bear and someday it might come true. I took one of those wishing stars and made a wish that Grandpa would be home for Thanksgiving.

He spent about a month or so in the VA hospital before deciding to go to my mom's and receive hospice care. My cousin April and I were conviced he was getting better...we had no idea the cancer was waging war against his entire body. Grandpa didn't want anyone else to know...he only told my mom.

Well, Grandpa held out until two days before Thanksgiving. He died on a Tuesday. I was wrapping some stuff up at work preparing to spend the next couple of weeks helping Mom take care of Grandpa. I called Mom to let her know I was going to be a few minutes later than I had planned. She was upset, sobbing into the phone - I told her to hang in there. When I arrived at my parent's house, Grandpa was already gone. Mom met me at the door to tell me...she said I was a little too late.

I remember Grandpa's face looking so peaceful. His pain was finally gone.

The whole family on my mom's side came for the funeral. My uncles from Arizona and Washington came - we were all together. We all stayed in my parents' tiny little house, I don't know how we all crammed in there, but we did it. It felt like it did when I was little.

We spent Thanksgiving together, cooked the traditional dinner. It was just like old times.

Today, two years later, I will spend time with my sweet husband and my family at my brother's new home. I will think of my Grandpa while I peel potatoes with a vegetable peeler instead of a paring knife(something he used to tease me for) and when we sit down to eat because Grandpa loved to cook and to eat good food.

I'm wishing you all a Thanksgiving filled with good food, family and friends.