Tonight was the awards banquet for the hospital here in town, pepaw has been working there for 30 years. He asked me to be his date about a month ago. We got all dressed up and arrived at the civic center right just on time. I met all kinds of people, who have watched me grow up and who remember me when I was a "little bitty thing." While we walked to our table I noticed the amount of people pouring in. I saw the smiles and the friendships. They truly seemed to care about their job and they held their positions with pride. As the night went on, I got to people watch more. I watched people pull out chairs for the wives, I watched the jazz band (which was so good), but what I payed most attention to was the amount of people who came up to memaw and pepaw both to say hi.
Memaw has been there for 42 years and pepaw 30, now-- they seem to know everyone who works at the hospital. Dinner was served and shortly after the awards started, it was pepaws turn to go up and I watched him walk across the stage with his bright pepaw smile.
As the award show came to a close, pepaw and I walked towards the jazz band to listen to one last song while we waited for momma and memaw to make their rounds. As we met back up with them, a lady gave me a great big hug and said "you are so pretty," I said "thank you" and the next question has replayed over and over "are you as sweet as this man right here?" all I could say in response was "I sure hope to be someday."
This blog would last forever if I went into the many, many, many stories I have with my pepaw. There is a connection between the two of us that can't be put into words. Before I go any further in this, I need you readers to know that my memaw is a gem, she is funny and witty. She loves my pepaw like a wife should love her husband. My Pepaw is a Peters, that is all there is to it. I am not sure how they get it so well, but they do. They know what the meaning of love really is. My grandma and grandaddy had 10 children and raised them right. Tomorrow my grandma, Eddie Lee, would be 100 years old. I still remember the day she passed away. We are a huge family so, we had to go in shifts at the nursing home the night she was passing. It was our turn to go back inside to see her and I remember she kept looking up in a corner of the room and smiling then she would look at all of the family and cry. It was like she was torn between leaving or staying behind because she didn't want to hurt her family. After hours of her fighting my pepaw realized what she was doing so he got down beside her, looked her in the eyes, and he said "momma, its okay to go" and within seconds she left. She taught my pepaw to love, which in turn taught me to love.
I can't begin to tell you just one story simply because a million come rushing to my mind. Stories of the old red truck, stories of midnight snacks while I stayed the night, and Christmas stories are just the surface. I am 22, years old and for 22 years if I've see my pepaw in the yard working, no matter if I am late, I will make my way across the yard to hug him before I leave. He beams with joy when he is around his family. Those front porch rocking chairs hold so many of our sweetest moments. He listens to me and then he gives some of the most simple, yet wise advice anyone could give and sometimes he doesn't say anything he just listens and nods, just like grandma.
Every time I head to Africa, he says "I'm not going to the airport to tell you bye, I can't do it." He of course goes and I always save his hugs for last because his hugs are so peaceful. He hugs me, gives me the pat on the back and he says through his cracked voice, "I love you, alright that's all I can say." These hugs stick with me throughout the trip because every time I hug one of my kiddos bye, I feel that lump in my throat, (you know the one that causes the cracked voice before you cry) and I am reminded of my sweet Pepaw and I get a glimpse of the love that he has for each of his grand kids.
Tonight, while I watched him be so kind to his co-workers I realized that he is pepaw, my pepaw no matter where he is on this earth. He is the reason I love the way I do. And that's because he loves like Jesus loves.Tonight was so special for so many reasons, but watching him beam with joy while talking about his three dates was the best part. He loves fully and there is no in-between. He is a simple man with a huge heart and I am thankful that Jesus let me be his granddaughter.
"I think I am a well respected man and I didn't get here over night it was by kindness and loving people." -while talking about friendships on the front porch
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