It's Time

It's time.

It's time to say goodbye to one of the greatest men I've ever known, who shaped me so much that I can't even begin to describe it.

It's time to say goodbye to the man whose loss still makes my chest seize up and tears come to my eyes. It's taken me five months to even get to the point where I can write about it and not break down.

The epilepsy attack happened a few years ago, the major heart attack a year ago, the move into the nursing home at the same time. And still I wasn't ready to let go.

I don't think I'll ever stop missing you, Grandpa. Every day I see your bow tie on the bookshelf and remember the scientist, the professor, the philatelist, the die-hard Cubs fan, the man of God, and the man who loved his family.

The wonderful, touching slideshow of Grandpa's 86 years that Jack made won't load, so I took some stills.

He and my mother were incredibly close.

Ah, the glorious bow ties!

Grandpa never stopped teaching.

I'm afraid I wasn't terribly cooperative for this picture.

The family he loved.

He found that even more fun than being a grandpa was being a great-grandpa!

He got to watch his great-grandchildren grow. (Yes, those are the same boys!)

He and my grandmother used to argue the particulars of historical battles, sometimes late into the night...

We got married on their 59th anniversary, and this is a moment I will cherish forever.

PS-One of the last things Grandpa said to me was that he thought the next GOP presidential nominee would be Sarah Palin. If I ever get the chance to talk to her, I'd like to tell her that both of my grandpas adored her.