Wednesday, September 14

Wanna Shake?

It's rainy outside today and that is appropriate because it's been that way emotionally. My Grandpa Kensel died yesterday. It wasn't a surprise, he's been suffering from dementia for the past several years. My family has watched him fail slowly for months now. His death is actually something to be extremely peaceful about because it was for the best.

However, I can't help but be "adult sad" about losing him. By "adult sad" I mean that I will never again witness first hand the things that made my grandfather completely unique. He could call a squirrel over to his pant leg with a click of his tongue and feed him a peanut out of his pocket, while the squirrel climbed up his pant leg. When I was little he'd come over to our house, sit next to me, grab my leg just above the knee and make this "kkkskskskk" sound while I giggled with glee. There was the time that he and my grandmother walked to the edge of our camp site in West Virginia and poured the hot bacon grease down the yellow jackets next in the ground while insects flew out in a flurry. But my favorite memory is probably how my grandfather would sit in his chair, we would walk up and stand between his knees and he'd ask us if we wanted to shake while offering his hand to us. All of his grand kids would resoundedly say "YES" and he would proceed to grab our shoulders and shake us like a polaroid picture.

Grandpas are special, there's just no buts about it. They have their funny quirks and nobody's grandpa tells the same silly jokes or has the same hilarious habits. But they all got 'em and that's why we love them so much.

I often wonder what kind of grandparent I will be. What will my grandchildren make fun of me for? It's probably impossible that I would have any sort of flaws...but I'm sure if they are related to me, they'll find them and make fun of them to no end.

I love you Grandpa Kensel. I hope to see you in heaven someday and when I get there, would you please ask me if "I want to shake?"

3 comments:

katherine said...

hey bex. i'm sorry to hear about your grandfather. i'll be thinking of you in the next few weeks and months as we both go through this at the same time. perhaps you should get a betta fish too. i think i will go with kenny. thanks for the input. :)

bexala said...

I think that's great, Kath.

I think Sally Cat might like a new friend, too.

katherine said...

somehow i don't think sally cat and kenny are going to get along very well. sally's play-style might be too aggressive and carnivorous for kenny's liking.