Today was a good day.
Carrie and I stopped in at my grandparents’ house to visit on our way to Behrend today. Since finding out about her cancer grandma has been de-nesting (as grandpa put it).
While we were there today grandma gave Carrie a ton of crafting stuff. Grandpa and I were in the basement with them and we were just talking and I decided that I’d just let him know that I was interested in his pipe collection.
Hey, just so you know, if you’re ever getting rid of stuff as well. I would really like your pipe collection. I remember seeing them once as a kid and they’re something that I’d love to have.
He said that he wasn’t ready to get rid of them yet, but I could definitely have them when he was. Then, before we left, he went downstairs and brought them back up and said I could have them now since he hadn’t even looked at them in years and there was no reason he should keep them.
My intention was just to let him know that I was interested in them. The reason? Mostly because I wanted them to use… but the rest of the day I was thinking how much they do and will mean to me. See, grandpa Al and I have never really connected over anything. We talk, and have meaningful conversation and he’s been a wonderful grandpa, but there’s just never really been much that he and I connected closely on. But, these are now officially family heirlooms starting with him passing them on to me and that is meaning a lot to me.
As a kid I used to call him “grumpa,” not because I wasn’t able to say “grandpa” – he can be a grouch, world class. But, my mom, brother and I lived at thier house for a summer as a kid. I don’t remember much, but the summer stands out as something significant to me – though I have no idea why.
In the past few years, he’s changed a lot. The comment I made to Carrie today is that overall he seems softer, but not at all in a bad ‘girlie man’ sense, just as in he seems to have a more inviting personality. This really has opened it up for me to really get to know him better and with all of the dying that’s happening in the family everything seems bigger.
9 pipes made my day today.
