In Loving Memory

In the past, my parents and I have made an annual trek to southern Ohio to place flowers on my grandparents grave. Since moving to the big city, I have taken it upon myself to do it on my own. It is only a 2 hour drive there for me compared to a 4 hr one for my parents. I have been thinking about doing it this last week. So yesterday I was out shopping after my doctor's appointment and I stopped in at the dollar store. Generally I go to Hobby Lobby to get my flowers to make an arrangement but with gas prices the Dollar store won out. I picked out some very lovely mums that I know my grandmother would have loved. I got some floral tape and proceeded to make a nice arrangement to leave at the grave. I have decided that I will make the drive tomorrow. Upon talking to my mom today I told her what I was going to do. She thought it was very nice. She said that my Aunt Janet had called her to see if she was going to mass Saturday night. Mom thought maybe another mass was being said in my aunt Rose's honor. To her surprise it was for my grandfather. I can't believe that we have arrived at the anniversary of my grandfather's death. He died the weekend before my friend Kris and I were scheduled to move from fremont to Bowling Green 7 years ago this Monday. I have been missing him lately. I think it has to do with Aunt Rose. I know you are not supposed to have favorite relatives but my grandfather was my favorite. Towards the end of his life he and I had developed a very special relationship. During my first year of teaching I moved in with him for awhile to help take care of him. Being diabetic he got an infection in his foot and ended up losing a few toes. My job was to get him up before I left for work. I would make him breakfast before heading out the door. During that time I was only part-time at the school, so I would be done by 11:30. I'd get back to his place in time to get lunch ready for him. I would have a few hours to run errands with him before I had to head off to my other job where I was a cashier. I would have stuff out for him and ready to go for his supper. I usually returned home around 9:30. I would then take care of his foot and rebandage it for the night. He would send me out to get his lottery tickets and would give me extra money to get some for me. If I won anything, I got to keep it. It was also during this time that I started eating tomatoes. He loved grape tomatoes on his salad and he had to have salad every night at dinner. That was a fun time for me. I remember the last time I saw him alive in the hospital. I had stopped in after work to see him and he didn't know who I was or why I was there. The day he died, my mom and I were shopping with a friend of hers. We were in the lingerie department of Walmart when my aunt called. The three of us headed over to the nursing home he had transferred to from the hospital. Mabel sat out in the lobby with me while Mom went in the room. I will forever be thankful for Mabel being there that day. She helped us through a very difficult time. The funeral was lovely. The flag in front of the city building was flying at half mast in his honor. Past and present officers from the police department were on hand to be pall bearers. What a way to honor a man who served the city for 26 years. Everyone had their favorite "Big Ben" stories to share. To this day when people find out who my grandfather was, they always have something nice to say. I might not be able to make it to the mass tomorrow, but he will be in my thoughts as I visit my other grandparents.