Remembering.....

Now that the formal 'goodbye', the funeral, is over, the 'remembering' begins. The funeral was beautiful - a blend of farm, family, and Christ - it was fitting. There was a balloon-release to cap off the burial service. Miss Mouse kept her little purple balloon instead of letting it go. Since Miss Mouse probably is not old enough to remember her Great Grandpa Don without our help, it is our responsibility now to pass on his memory to her. Memories like learning to dance with him in the basement to a record of Charlie Pride singing "The Crystal Chandelier"; I've never danced with anyone who could spin a girl like Grandpa could spin a girl. Memories like Grandpa searching for 15 years before he found a horse suitable for Laura and I (keep in mind he was known to have ridden with one foot on each of two horses, yet he wanted the gentlest horse in the world for us). Memories like Grandpa trying to talk my Mom into letting him take me on the scary, upside-down rides at fairs (she never agreed). Memories like Grandpa coming along with Grandma and my parents to almost all of my flute performances - who would have thought that he'd want to travel miles for flute music? He appreciated all sorts of music, but I have a hunch that he appreciated it most because I was playing it. Memories like those and others like them helped form Laura and I into who we are - helped give us a feeling of being valuable to our family and loved unconditionally (no matter what instrument we played - flute like me or fiddle like her). Perhaps we were spoiled by the grandfathers in our lives; we never questioned what we thought was a fact - that we were loved and were two of the main centers of their lives. If that is being 'spoiled', though, I wish 'spoiling' on every child. I am thankful that Miss Mouse seems to be heading in the same direction, and I will continue to pass on the interests and memories of both my grandfathers (Papa and Grandpa Don) to her.