My Hero

It is hard to believe it's been a year. This day a year ago Heaven received a very precious gift, my Grandpa. A real hero walked through those pearly gates and I know each and every day he smiles down upon us. For Grandma, Daddy, Mama, Jason and I-this year has been a difficult one. I hate that I could not be with my family this day. I would love nothing more than to be with my Grandma right now. She is such a strong and beautiful lady and I have such admiration for her. This was a year of many firsts for us, many changes. It has also been a year full of growth for our family. It has been a time to mourn and a time to cherish, a time for sadness but a time to look back and laugh, a time weep and a time to remember a hero. My Grandpa served in the US Navy and accomplished things people now could never even dream of. My Grandpa served valiantly and fought strong. My Grandpa was a hero. My Grandpa taught me to mash up cornbread in milk and eat it with a spoon. My Grandpa sat around the table at McDonald's with all his friends and told me stories, taught me lessons. My Grandpa made the best peanut brittle the world has ever tasted. My Grandpa loved the Dawgs. My Grandpa always smiled. My Grandpa had the most contagious laugh. My Grandpa always called me Sugar Booger, always. My Grandpa loved and was loved. My Grandpa was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend. My Grandpa is my hero. To this day I can't pass a black Cadillac without thinking of my Grandpa. I can't look at an American flag without thinking about his love for our country, our freedom, our family. I cannot drive down East Campus Road without stopping to say a little prayer. If it's not after 5 I would even go in for a little visit and tell him what's going on with me. I can't do that now, 4 days sure is a long trip and I don't think I'd make it before the cemetery closes. But what I can do is look up at the sky and know you're there, Grandpa.

"Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy."

Out here, in Tahoe, the stars are a most magnificent site. According to the night sky I look up and see each night, you are one happy man! Grandpa, you have lived, you have loved, you have fought, you have worked, you have saved the lives of so many, and enlightened the lives of so many more. I am so thankful for your service to the United States military and to our family. You are so brave and a hero to so many. I am looking forward to the day I see your Purple Heart and Bronze Stars. You lived humbly and for that you have taught me an invaluable lesson. You live on in my heart and in the sky each night. There are so many things this year that I know you would be proud of me for. I love the fact that you face Sanford Stadium and watched over me in my last year of college at UGA. And I know that you will continue to watch and be proud of Jason as he continues his degree and his life. Please never stop twinkling. I love to look at the sky and treasure your memory. I think about you often and you are truly missed. I love you and Aunt Linda and am so happy you are reunited in His kingdom.
Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 1 Corinthians 15:42