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Friday, July 19, 2013

Until We Meet Again, Grandpa. I love you. | A Letter to my Grandpa Pettit


Today, we say our Earthly goodbyes to one of the most incredible men I have ever met in my entire life. My family is grieving the loss of my grandfather; we feel the empty void very clearly. The head of the family is no longer here with us, and we feel his absence sharply.

But we know that he is no longer in pain, and is now in a place that is more amazing than the best possible day here on Earth. We also know that this is just a temporary goodbye. We know we will see him again. We are counting on it.

I wrote Grandpa a letter a couple of days ago. I process things and express myself best in writing, so this was my way of saying goodbye to him. I never want to forget this letter.

I love you, Grandpa.

---

Wednesday, July 17th, 2013

Dear Grandpa Pettit,

I can't believe I'm writing this letter to you.

I guess I never thought about what it would be like when you would no longer be here. You have always been such a key part of my life, and such a steadfast and healthy part; I never let myself consider what it might be like once you were no longer here with us.

And now that you are no longer on Earth with us anymore, I'm struggling to accept it.

I spent the last several hours looking through old photo albums and making the Laura/Erica photo board for your funeral. As I paged through 12 or 13 jam packed photo albums, it was amazing to see how many photos have you and Grandma in them. So many. Dozens. You and Grandma were a part of every important part of my life so far, and many mundane, everyday parts too.

I feel incredibly blessed that you and Grandma are my grandparents. I am so thankful that you were my Grandpa. And I'm even more thankful that I was able to live so close to you and to be able to do so many things with you and Grandma throughout the years, creating the awesome relationship that I have had with you two. Not everyone gets that. But I did. I had the best Grandpa ever.

When you were in the hospital, I decided to make a list of memories, or things that I love about you. I don't want to forget a single thing. Ever.

So many of my favorite memories have you in them, Grandpa.

Singing out loud with Erica to Rainbow Bright while crusing in the candy car. I'm sure you and Grandma wished that tape would somehow find it's way to the garbage because you were probably so sick of listening to it on repeat. Man, we loved that tape.

Coming down every spring break from 2nd grade on, to visit you and Grandma in Carefree. Driving the golf cart around the streets and getting hollered at by the cranky old man. I credit you with my good driving skills today. :)

Playing game after game of Hand and Foot, Dominos, Golf and the occasional Shoot the Moon round. Erica and I hardly ever won, and I know we gave you the major guilt trip when you wanted to go out and we weren't even close to being ready. We aren't the best losers, and you graciously put up with our pouting. You taught me how to play cribbage up in Canada too. I also remember playing solitaire next to you, to pass the time while it rained.

As I flipped through the pages of photos from every year of my life, there you were, smiling back at me. You were always smiling. Always laughing. Always happy.

That is how I will always remember you.

We are grieving the loss of you - the most amazing man. A devoted husband, a deeply loved and respected father, and an adored grandfather. The world seems a little less vibrant without you in it, Grandpa.
But thankfully, this isn't the final goodbye.

Thankfully, we share the same faith that this isn't the end. I know will see you again someday.

Someday, you and Grandma will get to take a spin on the dance floor again, while you laugh and hold each other close like you did at the casino when we were there for New Years. Someday, you and Grandma will challenge Matt and I to another battle of Hand and Foot, and we'll probably lose to you two again. Like usual. I promise I won't pout if you want to go out this time.

Someday, I will see your smiling face again, and I will hear your big, deep laugh again. I will feel your tight bear hug squeeze again. I know it.

Until then, we will wrap Grandma in all the love and comfort that you provided for her in the 58 years you were married. We will continue to look at photos and remember the amazing times we had with you. We will talk to you and seek your guidance when we need it, and look for you in nature when we miss you terribly. We will keep your memory alive and never, ever forget you.

You were the most amazing grandfather I could have ever asked for. You loved Grandma with your whole heart and you cherished your kids – every one of them. You adored each of us grandkids, no matter how old we were, where we lived or what we were doing with our lives. You loved each of us unconditionally, and without holding back.

And boy, do we love you. We love you so much.

Hug your parents and your siblings up there, Grandpa. Say Hi to Grandma and Grandpa Hensel for me, and tell them I miss them. Have fun fishing and playing poker in Heaven, and know that I'll be joining you with my pole, ready to spit in the water when I get up to Heaven too. We can catch some fish together and then play another game of cards after. Maybe we can share a candy bar while we fish too.

I love you so much and I will miss you every day.

Until we meet again,

Laura “Hepsaba Pinchen Hensel” Radniecki
LKR_7840

10 comments:

  1. Laura, Your Grandpa was one of my teachers and I always remembered him! So sorry for your loss.

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  2. Hi Vicky! Thank you so much for your comment. How neat to hear that you remembered my grandpa! I'm sure he would be honored and touched to hear that. From the sounds of it, he was a loved teacher by many!!

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  4. Thank you, Chinmay! Thanks for stopping by and reading. I appreciate it.

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  5. i l love it, i lost my dear granfather 20 days ago...heart attack. I loved him so much just the way you loved your granpa. Thank you for sharing these beautiful words.

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  6. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!


    I'm very sorry to hear about your grandfather. It sounds like you can relate very much.


    It's beautiful that your feelings for him remain the same, 20 years later. I believe mine will too!


    Blessings to you!


    Laura

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  7. Hi Laura ,
    That's a lovely letter and your feelings for the great man . I am sure he is a lovely man and sure he would always bless you and your family from above . Thank you for sharing the letter .
    Regards
    Goutam

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  8. Hi Goutam!


    Thanks for reading and taking the time to write to me. I appreciate it!


    My grandpa was one of a kind and while we miss him greatly, I'm SURE he's watching over us daily. :)


    Blessings to you!


    Laura

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  9. I would like to share my story about my grandma. She married my G.P. So my ma and sister and brother wouldn't go into an orphanage, because he lost his wife and that all I know because he died when I was 5. She told me about being in Warsaw Poland during WW2. I now crave history and believe it was 1 of the worst places 2B in WW2. She didn't have much. Only Love to give me... Didn't drive. So I drive her when I turn 16. Never took a dime from her.. We always just talk. I wished I had moved into house, because my Dad was an horrible person. There was 12 grandchildren. I was 7 born out of 12. When she died, she had nothing vauleable to give. No 1 got anything.. But she Did leave me something... It was a cruixafix (HOLLY CROSS) only thing that she had all her life that hung above her bed. Even in the nursing home for 13 years. The cross hangs in my room. I don't want no one to touch it. Even my wife. I told my wife don't even clean it. That I want the honors to clean it. The funny thing it never gets dusty... I have many memorabilia and a lot of trophies from BMX racing. I Told my kids this is the greatest thing I ever got.. I wanted to throw out my trophies lately because there in a box in the basement. My wife stop me. I worked very hard for those trophies. At 11 years old I started a paper route and from there on my father never gave me another penny in my own life. I had to pay for my own clothes, haircuts and if I want to play sports I have to figure out how to make the money. I had to steal at times to be able to pay for baseball and football and racing BMX. I Started off with a cheap $80 bike that I bought. Eventually I moved up to and paid for $270 bike in 1980. I had life tough and had to make poor decision because of my cheap father.. My father never took a loan in his life for a house, car. Paid cash. Bought a new house in 1973 for $43,000 and had still a $100,000 in the bank. We lived in a higher middle class neighborhood. But he went to church and gave money every week while his kids had to steal to survive. In 4th grade the school had to call my house for how bad my tennis shoes were. I got my ass beat by my dad for that and he bought shoes that night. I paid him 2 days later with my paper route money. I skip school to work. U get the picture. My Grandma didn't know non of this. I worked for trucking company and after 21 years of dedicated service I almost lost my job for helping a new employee in 2008 for he was a jam. I was paying out of my own pocket for extra hrs he worked. The company loved me but Fired me. The teamster really could help me either. I Appealed the firing. 2 weeks later the company decided to stick with their 1st decision, FIRED. Appeal again to local district and started to pray a lot to my grandma, other dead relatives and GOD. Look like I had no way out. The teamsters thought I should give up. But 1day praying to the cross a flash of light with a name appeared. Not once but twice. Some very distance relative of mine who had political power... I called and meet with him and told him that when I was praying that GOD had sent me his name. He told me and I know he a religious man, "GOD IS MAD AT HIM RIGHT NOW AND HE DOUBTS THAT GOD WOULD BE SENDING HIM TO ME. I told him this is the vision I had and that GOD has told me to come to u. I think what ever poor political decision he had to make and felt God wouldn't forgive. Maybe he can make it up with GOD threw me. My Grandma cross saved my Job. I just wished I had called my grandma, " BABCIA". Grandma in Polish" , when she was a live. I think she would have loved that..

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  10. Thank you for sharing the story of your grandma. I think she is smiling down on you and can see what's in your heart. Blessings to you.

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