My Grandpa, who I love very much

by Jennifer Reihart
(Pennsylvania)

My grandpa was doing fairly well, when he fell last summer and had a pacemaker and a defibrillator put in. After that he started going downhill. We all knew it was a matter of time, but kept hoping that he would get better. Even when he was put in hospice, I kept hoping that he would get better.

He died on Feb. 1, 2010. I put my grief on hold for a while due to a family crisis, but it has hit me full force now. I miss him dearly. We didn't always see eye to eye on things, but his voice would always calm me down. I miss his voice, people say I can still talk to him, and that's ok, but I want to hear his voice. And let me know that everything would be all right.

Now the world is a bit more frightening, a bit more lonely, a bit more uncertain without him in it. We lived far apart and didn't talk much, which I regret, but I loved him with all my heart.

I ran into a friend of his who always asked how he was. It hit me hard that she would never ask that question again. This is the first Easter without him, I really miss him. He would always end a call with "She's my granddaughter and I love her". Well he's my grandpa, and I love him.