I was just at the funeral for my grandfather of eighty-three years. There was an obituary in the
Detroit Free Press as well as the
Farmington Observer that do him better justice than any recap I could give.
My grandmother asked me to say some words at the service, which was a more difficult thing than I had imagined. I knew immediately what I wanted to say, but how to say it was a real challenge. I ended up scribbling some few key phrases that I couldn't get right when I was practicing.
Afterwards, my grandmother asked for the hard copy, as did my dad, so now I need to write my recollection down. I'm certain they want it because my delivery was far too fast, and rather than ending it the way I had intended, I just ended it after getting to the point, because I wasn't sure I could keep going. So, here is what I would have wanted to say, had I been able to get it right:
Thank you all for coming today. First off, I'm honored to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of my grandfather, whom I deeply miss.
When trying to figure out what to say today, I had a lot of time to reflect. As a new parent, raising a child for the first time, I've tried to get my head around the awesome task of helping this new person grow and find their way in this big world. Parents get the chance to both mold a child and sometimes inflict their own personality upon their children. But, when reflecting, I thought more about the role that grandparents play as well. The chances they get are fewer, rarer, but all the more precious as a result.
I'd like to share with you four lessons I've learned from my grandparents. While I do this, if you'd like, think of George, my grandfather... Your parents or grandparents... or your children or grandchildren and the lessons you've learned or taught with them.
From my grandfather in Florida, I've learned to do what you love, and if you can't, love what you do. I've never known anyone as passionate as him for what he got the opportunity to do for a career in life.
From my grandmother in Florida, recently passed away, I learned to appreciate the simple little things - they're often the most enduring.
From my grandmother here with us today in Michigan, I've learned to keep your mind open to learning from ALL sources, because knowledge is power.
And lastly, probably most importantly today and to my life, from my grandfather here in Michigan, the final lesson... But let me stop first and tell a background story. For those of you who might remember me as a small child, you'll know I was a very serious child, doing serious things. Like writing letters to then President Reagan about his foreign policy strategy. I often didn't get the joke, particularly if it was on me. And grandpa liked to play a lot of jokes, and they'd often land on me, which was difficult. However, I was taught, and learned to watch for the twinkle in grandpa's eye. Because if his eye was twinkling, I knew he was joking out of love.
So my lesson from grandpa, the one I'm certain he lived his life by, is to not take life and most importantly, yourself too seriously.
These four lessons are central to the way I try to live my life. I never thought about it so carefully until I was asked to speak today, but having thought about it, they are even more central and I'm glad for the opportunity to reflect and to share to this willing audience. Thank you again.
Labels: funeral grandparents lessons george
