Good morning Friend :) another gracious Friday presents itself to us :)
Over the last few years now every Friday I pour my heart out into my Weekly Picture emails and I often talk about my Grampa and his influences over me for the things that count.... like work ethic, financial wisdom, business sense... the fundamentals of old world teachings. For me, I believe I am who I am large in part due to him.. so much so that we named our happy face logo after him.. Gary :)
Throughout the years of helping him on his projects shoveling rock or building airplanes in his shop he would give me crap about as soon as I'm older I wouldn't come visit him anymore as I would be off on my own life. I always remember giving him crap back telling him no, I'll always visit.
I remember going to visit him on a Sunday... I got up ass early that morning cause I knew I needed to make it to Walmart first because it was still dark outside and my headlight was out... I fixed it under a street light and was off. I remember pulling into his drive way at his home later that morning... It must have been about 6AM... told ya.. ass early! haha I knocked on the door and he opened it with eyes of what the hell.. and sure'nough... I beat him to really waking up.. hahah... it was awesome! I didn't intend on that, but that's what happened... kinda like him dropping his dogs on me at 5Am as kid to wake up and go shovel rock or something..
Me, Grampa and my Gramma spent the whole day together... I really can't remember the day as it was full of work and activity... But I think it was helping them prepare for a future move and he needed some design help with his home.. it's vague, but I recall that much... I do remember and will never forget the evening. We spent a lot of quiet time together, just pure socializing... we went to dinner that evening and had a great time. We came home a continued to socialize...all the while I knew it was Sunday and I needed to be to work the next morning... but the evening continued and I really didn't care about anything other than just being there, cutting up, savoring the time. The evening pushed until about 11PM and I needed to start my drive home. You could tell GP was gassed and I think my GM wanted to head to bed.
Keep in mind I left ass early that day and I was now leaving from Tucson head back to PHX... in the dark... man I was whooped! but I pressed on... I remember pulling off the I-10 and wondering around under the full moon about 12-1215A to make sure I made it home safely. You could see everything and the cold smell of the desert was awakening... I was fading and was exhausted but that kept me up. I think I pulled over another time or so...
I ultimately made it home just after 1AM and I knew I wasn't going into work that next day... So I sent an email at 130 or so saying I had a personal matter in Tucson and am just getting home. That day was Sunday, October 24, 2010... I can only remember that because I found the email I sent of me calling out that day...
That Sunday would ultimately be the last time I hung out with him.. Fast forward almost 10 months to the day.... 3 days before my 31st bday my, August 28, 2011 my GP would pass away in his home out in Colorado...
I am not sure if the universe was telling me to stay longer that night or not... but deep inside, I would like to think that I proved him wrong with never stopping to visit. Although gone now, I know I took every opportunity to do so..
It's a date that I keep in my calendar to remember the good times of yesterday and honor him through the actions of today. Much of everything I do today that requires wisdom is filtered through the lens of What Would Grampa Do.. WWGD... and as often as I talk about him it dawned on me that I've never shared a picture of what he looks like..
Through some spiritual alignment in the universe somewhere... it was just a week'ish ago today that I stumbled upon some old infant water feature pictures. Just knowing "infant / early" water feature days you'll understand what's going on. :)
The influence and mentor-ship captured in these pictures drums up the emotion in me. To keep the humbleness and daily honor going, I printed and framed these pictures and hung them in my office here and my shop.
I'm hoping where ever my buddy Gary is, that he's guiding me from a far and that although he's gone, he knows I'm continuing to visit him.
Thank you for letting me share that memory with you :)
Now to the fun part of what makes a Friday feel better!..
An opportunity to look into the world and see a place that you've not been before.. but can see yourself there now. :)
Chas and I are here to help you however we can.
Have a grateful Friday friend :)