I Want My Grandpa Back

"He'd be there peelin' peaches if it was 20 years ago
And what I wouldn't give
To ride around in that old truck with him"

Ugh. That part always gets me.

Em and I were having a play date with my best friend and her son at our local McDonald's this afternoon. As Em and I went to leave, we saw a family member on my dad's side that I swear I haven't seen since my grandma on my dad's side passed away in 2008.

We said hi to each other. Then he said "I thought that was you. Boy I'd recognize those eyes anywhere." It's always the eyes hahaha

Then he said something about seeing a picture of my grandpa on my Facebook and told me he downloaded it onto his computer. Said "It sure was good seeing his face, I don't have any pictures of him."

Okay, I'm gonna cry while I write this blog.

I told him that I have more pictures of my grandpa, that I would upload them to my Facebook so he can get them.

Then he said there weren't many pictures of any of the family from back then, that when his mom died the pictures kinda went with her. I immediately thought about the albums and albums of pictures we have from my dad's side of the family and told him we've got "some" pictures, that I would upload those as well.

He said he had a videotape that he and my grandpa made. Said it wasn't very good quality but that he would make me a copy so I would have it. God I hope he follows through on that.

All of a sudden, the guy sitting across the table from him exclaimed "I just now figured out who you're talking about. Frank!" Turns out I was related to that man too.

Stories were told. Things my grandpa said or did, the way they said things while impersonating him -- it was dead on. My grandpa liked expletives lol.

They talked about how Em didn't get my grandpa's dimples, that he had really deep ones. She didn't... but I think I know another little girl who did... and my sister.

They talked about how I got his eyes... well, eye. If you look at my left one, I have a chunk of brown in it. So did my grandpa except I think it's been brought up that his was the opposite eye? I'm not sure.

They talked about how the N---- family men have a gorgeous head of white hair once they hit 60 and how they wished they had gotten that. I laughed bc I think that's what my brother has inherited from my grandpa

I could have sat there and talked for hours to them but Em was tired and ready to go. Turns out they meet there every day at a certain time for coffee. They told me to come back and join them. I am... and I'm bringing some other people and two little girls who need to know these men bc our grandpa was the greatest man. He would have LOVED these two little girls and it kills me that he didn't get to meet them.

Yeah, I'm practically bawling right now.

Those 3 lines at the top? Why do they get to me?

Peaches. It's one of my favorite, simplest memories of him. Eating a bowl of peaches with milk, drizzled with honey. We did that together all the time when I was growing up. I've made it for Em a couple times, each time I'm fighting back tears as she talks about how good it is.

The driving in that truck with him -- his green little truck. Going to the library with him... to Williams Brothers Pharmacy for grilled cheese, pickles, and banana cream pie.

When I was younger, he and my grandma had a camper. I loved that thing. I went camping all over the place with them.

They had a regular card night with their friends named Dot and Chick. I still remember how the popcorn smelled when they would take me with them.

I want Em to have those kinds of memories about the men in her life. I want her to have MORE men in her life to have those kinds of memories about.

I hated leaving Mcdonald's. But I needed to go to my dad's anyways so I raced over there to tell him about my little chat with them. Turns out it was him we saw drive by when we were on our play date. It was him going into work so he unfortunately wasn't home.

We stayed at my dad's for a bit so Em could play and I got myself pulled together bc I was an emotional basketcase. We headed home finally and in the middle of town on the main highway to our house, Em says "MMMM somebody's CAMPING!!" And she was freaking right.... it smelled like a campfire.

And guess what memories flooded my mind.