My Grandfather

I found these pictures this past week at my parents house going through all the old photo albums. I do not remember having seen these before. I teared up actually when I found them and showed them to my mother. Something about these two photos captures everything I remember and love about my grandfather, Gilbert Eugene Miers. I remember the way he smelled, like chewing tobacco and tabasco sauce. I remember plaing with the hair on his forarms while we watched baseball, the news or soap operas in the afternoon. I vividly remember Friday trips to the grocery store. Once I walked away with a different grandpa, only to realize my mistake and turn around. I remember that he took great pride in his flowers and the yard around their home. He was always outside as much as possible. There was always the inevitable stop at the fruit stand for among other important items, cantelope. He would eat this cantelope at what seemed every meal, covered in salt, often accompanied by a huge pile of eggs with salt and pepper and tabasco. Another favorite was cake with butter. He wasn't a perfect parent, as none of us are, but with age came wisdom and knowledge. The most important lesson: to show his love. I can not remember a single visit where he did not take me to a picture of myself and tell me "that is the prettiest girl in the world." That was the last thing he told me. That and that the girl in the picture could do anything with her life that she wanted. He has been gone about ten years now and how I wish he could see where that girl has gone...He would love these boys.