You might have noticed but I don't really refer to my dad using a "grandparent" name. I have a reason for this. When Gracie was born they wanted the grandparents to pick their names and naturally Dad didn't care except he didn't want something "sissy"...his words, not mine. So he just said to have her call him Grandad. But here was my problem with this....his father, my grandfather, was Grandad. So to me this was not a generic term describing one's relation to someone, but an actual person. I was extremely close to Grandad and I was his only granddaughter so we had a special bond. We were all devastated when he passed away from Prostate Cancer in '07 shortly after Slade and I got engaged.
When I first heard that my dad was going to be called Grandad, I was appalled. I felt like we were just ignoring the fact that there already WAS a Grandad! MY Grandad! Plus for anyone that knew my grandfather and knows my dad...the older Dad gets, the more they look exactly alike. Like so much that in pictures I have gotten them confused. It was just too hard for me to hear him referred to as Grandad because it always reminded me of how much I missed my Grandad. Plus, the way I looked at it was that Grandad was supposed to be here...he was in GREAT health other than the fact that he got this retched disease. So since Grandad should have been here...the name shouldn't have been able to be used. Also, it was just too soon...Gracie was born not long after he passed away and I just was not ready to let go. But such is life, no one really cared what I thought and now Gracie and Caroline call Dad..Grandad. I had vowed that my child will not call him this, but as I have had time to heal, I have discovered there might be a different side to this coin.
My dad had a Grandad and his dad was Grandad so naturally he just wanted to be called the same as a long line of men in his family. As I have matured, I realize that this is more of a family tradition than everyone trying to replace Grandad. So if Knox wants to call him Grandad then so be it...Que Sera Sera.
So, here's a few things about my Grandad and you can see why I had such a hard time letting this man go....
The day I turned 16 he came over to my house and pretty much made me be an entry level mechanic before I could drive. He showed me how to change a flat tire, change my oil, check my fluids and what nob to NEVER turn under my hood. Then after he did it, I had to go back and do it.
Like I said, I was his only granddaughter so he carried my cheerleading picture in his wallet and would show it to EVERONE...like the people at What-a-Burger, where he had lunch everyday, recognized me one time when I was in the drive through....."Oh, you are Tommy's granddaughter!"
He never missed a sporting event, school function, or whatever ridiculous thing you do when you are a child and when he got his video camera, his whole world changed. I bet Gan has HOURS of video of the most mundane things because he filmed ALL THE TIME. Then he would egg us on about something and chuckle behind the camera...
When I went to Italy, he came over with Gan and my dad to see me (very out of character.) He called the city of Pisa... Pizza... the whole time, even after I corrected him...I am sure he knew all along.
Do I think my Dad will live up to the name?...Absolutely.
Do I still miss my Grandad like crazy?...Definitely.
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