Growing up, children often have heroes. Whether it’s a sports
hero, a superhero, or a role model, it seems that kids are always looking up to
someone. In terms of a personal hero, I wasn’t sure I had one. My grandpa
always came to mind as a possible candidate, but I never really knew why. He
lived in our house for ten years, but to be completely honest, I never really
spent any time getting to know him. I mean, I liked him as a grandpa. He was
nice, and funny, just like my dad. But just being nice and funny don’t usually
get you the label ‘hero.’ I guess there was just something about him, but I
never knew why he seemed to be atop my list.
I never knew why, until he was gone. The saying that you don’t
know what you have until it’s gone is not always applicable, but in this case it
was. Looking back, all of the time spent with or around my grandpa had a much
bigger impact on me than I ever would have thought. One of the main reasons for
this goes back to the fact that I hardly ever spent time just getting to know
him. We didn’t talk that much, and when we did, it would just be about
day-to-day happenings, not about the important things in life. Yet looking
back, he is one of the people who taught me the most about the important things
in life. Not because we ever talked about them, but because he lived them.
He lived a cheerful life. My grandpa was a person who always
had a smile on his face. Regardless of what was going on, he always seemed to
be genuinely content. I’m sure he must have had his bad days, but he never
showed it. No matter what the circumstances, his attitude was always positive.
He lived a gentle life. I honestly cannot remember a time when he was ever angry or upset. When we had the occasional family disagreement at the dinner table, he never tried to interject or give any grandfatherly words of wisdom. He never lectured or said things when it wasn’t his place. In any situation, he could always offer a gentle smile that seemed to do the trick.
He lived a selfless life. My grandpa was the kind of person
who never wanted to bother anyone, and certainly wouldn’t want you to go out of
your way to do something for him. I remember late one night when he came
shuffling over from his apartment. My dad had just gotten home from a long week
of work and had already gone to bed. He asked if my dad was around, and when I
told him that he’d gone to bed already, my grandpa started to head back to his
apartment. As he was walking away, I told him that he could wake my dad up if
he needed to. Fortunately, he did, and my dad drove him to the hospital where we
found out that my grandpa had had a bad heart attack. I’m not sure how long he
was over in his apartment that day before he came over to get help, but he didn’t
want to bother anyone.
He lived a hardworking life. He showed me the value of hard
work, and that work comes before play. I know that throughout his life he
worked very hard in the jobs that he had. While living with us, he worked on
our property throughout the day, and only rested when he had done what was
needed. From mowing the grass, to shoveling the driveway, to maintaining the
gardens, he always worked hard to make sure our place was well kept.
He lived a grateful life. Not once did I ever hear my
grandpa complain. When we whined about a meal we didn’t like, he kindly thanked
my mom for supper and always made sure to say that it was 'jolly good.' Not
once did he ever tell us how hard he had it when he was our age. He never
mentioned that he was an orphan who had been separated from his siblings and
sent to Canada to work, and work hard. He never talked about being treated
unfairly, or unjustly. He never told us how spoiled we were to have a family, a
home, and plenty of food. Though he had many chances to verbally teach us
lessons on matters like being thankful and grateful, he never spoke up. He
never spoke up, but from the way he lived, he didn’t need to. The message of his
actions were much more powerful than any lectures or reminders he could have
given.
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He lived a fun life. My grandpa was always a funny guy. Like my dad, he’d been telling jokes for as long as I could remember. He always had a smile on his face, and he always brought a contagious laughter to the supper table no matter the circumstances. I remember visiting him in the nursing home shortly before he went into hospital, at a time when the pain in his neck had been excruciating. He looked to be in pretty rough shape, the worst I’d seen him in up until that point. But when my mom asked how the pain in his neck had been, he just turned and pointed at me and said, “She’s a pain in the neck.” Even when he was suffering, he always knew how to lighten the mood.
He lived a fun life. My grandpa was always a funny guy. Like my dad, he’d been telling jokes for as long as I could remember. He always had a smile on his face, and he always brought a contagious laughter to the supper table no matter the circumstances. I remember visiting him in the nursing home shortly before he went into hospital, at a time when the pain in his neck had been excruciating. He looked to be in pretty rough shape, the worst I’d seen him in up until that point. But when my mom asked how the pain in his neck had been, he just turned and pointed at me and said, “She’s a pain in the neck.” Even when he was suffering, he always knew how to lighten the mood.
He lived a good life. My grandpa spent much of his time
outdoors. I love being outside and enjoying nature, and have always felt most
connected to God when I’m outside experiencing all that He has made. From the
way my grandpa lived, this was evident in his life as well. I loved looking out
the back window to see him sitting in the patio area reading a book, or sitting
on the bench in the back field with his cat, Frank, relaxing in the sunshine. Even
just going for a swim, he always chose to spend time outside over being cooped
up in his apartment.
He lived a faithful life. I have never seen anyone more committed to their spouse than my grandpa was. He loved my grandma deeply, and it was very evident in their day-to-day lives. Most of the memories I have of my grandma are those with a walker or a wheelchair. She seemed to always have a broken hip or a broken leg, but my grandpa was there every step of the way. When she was moved into the nursing home nothing changed. My grandpa visited her and stayed by her side every single day, often several times and long hours. Even on days when she didn’t want him there, or didn’t know who he was. My grandpa was there, never leaving her side and being a faithful and loving husband till the very last day.
He lived a faithful life. I have never seen anyone more committed to their spouse than my grandpa was. He loved my grandma deeply, and it was very evident in their day-to-day lives. Most of the memories I have of my grandma are those with a walker or a wheelchair. She seemed to always have a broken hip or a broken leg, but my grandpa was there every step of the way. When she was moved into the nursing home nothing changed. My grandpa visited her and stayed by her side every single day, often several times and long hours. Even on days when she didn’t want him there, or didn’t know who he was. My grandpa was there, never leaving her side and being a faithful and loving husband till the very last day.
He lived a generous life. My grandpa was a cheerful giver.
Whether it was buying candy bars for numerous school fundraisers, sponsoring me
for Jump Rope for Heart, or contributing to a missions trip, my grandpa never
said no. He was always happy to give. He never hesitated, and I know that he
gave to far more causes than just mine.
He lived a thoughtful life. Every birthday and Christmas he
would have a card for us, and there would always be a little money in there
too. Even with all of his children and grandchildren, he always made sure
everybody was thought of, and every year at Christmastime each family would
receive their tin of Quality Street chocolates. I will never see that purple
tin of chocolates without thinking about my grandpa.
He lived a caring life. After he passed away, I found out that I had been named as beneficiary to one of his policies. I was blown away, completely caught off guard and unprepared. He had done this several years earlier, because of my diligence in school, and because he knew that I would use it wisely. I had always worked very hard in school and did my best, but there were many times when I felt that no one seemed to notice the effort that I actually put in. But through all those years my grandpa noticed, and he left me with a gift that I didn’t deserve. But to know that he cared about me and that my hard work had not gone unnoticed, means much more to me than any monetary value.
He lived an encouraging life. My grandpa was one of my
number one sports fans. He would come out to watch me play soccer in the summer,
and came to almost all of my home hockey games during the winter. He would get
into the games just as much as the next person, and always told me I played a
great game, even if I hadn’t. It means a lot to me when people take the time to
come out and watch me play sports, and I was always thankful when he was in the
stands or on the sideline.
Most importantly, my grandpa lived a Godly life. He showed
me what it means to be a follower of Christ. He lived his life with a desire to
know and serve God. All of the lessons that he taught me fall in line with the
example that Jesus set for us. My grandpa and I never had a conversation about
God or spiritual things, yet spiritually, he is one of the people who has influenced
me the most in life. I am thankful to have had such a wonderful grandfather in
my life and am grateful for the role that he unknowingly played in my growing
up years. Just by simply living, he had a lasting impact on me, and I’m sure many
others. He was a great man, and I am extremely proud to call him my hero.
“Dear children, let us not love with words or
speech but with actions and in truth.” – 1 John 3:18
