-Grandpa Bill-

Both of my Grandpa’s were alcoholics. My Grandpa Bill’s dad was an alcoholic too.

They say it is in the genes. When my Grandpa Bill was just a young dad, his father, John was kicked out of the house by his mother. She must have been frustrated with him. It was winter and cold. My Grandpa was called by the county hospital and told that his dad was in the hospital, he had pneumonia and it was very serious. She said that if he wanted to see him, he needed to get to the hospital. My Great-Grandpa John was a hard man. He wasn’t always kind when he disciplined his son, but Grandpa loved him. Grandpa got to the hospital, and as he was getting on the elevator, he passed an orderly bringing a deceased person down to the morgue. As he got to his father’s room, they told him he was too late, his father had passed away and they had already taken him. It was his father who was being taken off the elevator when he got on. It was Grandpa’s daddy’s 50th birthday. Grandpa cried and cried. He didn’t get to say good-bye to his father.

That story has always been hard for me to hear. Even when things don’t go just right in a family, they’re still our family. My Grandpa Bill still loved his dad. I’m sure they have had a chance to get know each other, and love each other better in the next life. Families are forever. If I learned anything from this story it is this, love each other, work hard on relationships, spend time with each other, never let an opportunity to say “I love you” pass by. If your relationship with your family wasn’t quite the best, and someone you love is gone, forgive yourself, and do better from now on. I believe my Grandpa’s heart was broken many times because of his family. I feel sad about how things were for Grandpa Bill, but because of him I will never have those same sad experiences, because of what I’ve learned from him. On the positive side, Grandpa married the sweetest Grandma alive and became the daddy to my mom and my aunt, and had a vey wonderful life with his little family. He was a very generous and loving man, and was always trying to do better. I love you Grandpa!

Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy