"I Have You In My Heart"

Today is my great grandfather's birthday.

Grandpa Doc would have been 91 years old today.

 

Now, most people don't get to say that they knew their great grandparents. And those who do often didn't really know them. More often than not their great grandparents died before they had the opportunity to get to know them.

But I'm a lucky girl. I have been blessed enough to know two of my great grandparents on my mom's side of the family.

 

Our 5 living generations of women.

 

My great grandmother, Grandma Doc, is still alive and well today. She is in amazing health and one day I want to be just like her. At almost 87, Grandma Doc is working between 30 and 40 hours a week, walks a minimum of 2 miles every evening, takes care of the elderly and sick in her community (all of whom she is actually older than), attends Mass daily and delivers communion to members of the parish who cannot attend Mass. She also maintains a

home, speaks with each of her five children once a week, keeps in touch with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and still has time left over to remember KBug's birthday.

 

She is an absolutely amazing woman!

 

My Grandpa Doc passed away 11 years ago. I was 12 years old. And while I may not have known him long or been able to see him often, he left a lasting impression.

 

Grandpa Doc is the strongest man I have ever known. He led an absolutely amazing life, starting with an enlistment in the Army and being a part of the 390th Bomb Group from WWII.

 

He was a dentist for many, many years and was also a member of the board for the hospital in the small town of Winnemucca, NV. He also helped to build the local high school in town after experiencing his children go away for school at the age of 14.

 

 

Many years later, Grandpa Doc was diagnosed with kidney failure. In order to live, he had to be put on dialysis several times a day. Thank goodness my Grandma Doc was a nurse and had kept up her license so she was able to administer his dialysis from home. That really made a huge difference in their lives.

 

Grandpa Doc was given one year to live.

He survived for seven years on dialysis.

There's that strength I mentioned earlier.

 

There is so much more that this man did in his lifetime, it would likely take me an entire day to write it all down. But I don't think there's any need for that.

 

All that's important is that he loved his family very much and did everything he could to give back to his community.

 

I want nothing more than to make this man proud of me, just as I am proud of him. And I hope that he is. I have come so far since the last time I wrote about him. I guess I won't know until I see him again in Heaven. Until then, I believe that he is watching over me.

 

I think of him often and have his name tattooed on my ankle so that I will never forget (not that I'm likely to).

 

I miss him everyday.

 

And I love him always.

 

Rest in Peace, Grandpa Doc

April 10, 1922 - February 26, 2002

 

 

"I thought of you with love today

but that is nothing new

I thought about you yesterday

and days before that, too

 

I think of you in silence

I often speak your name

All I have are memories

and your picture in a frame

 

Your memory is my keepsake

with which I'll never part

God has you in His keeping

I have you in my heart"

 

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