Papa

Just a few days after Christmas, my mom and I were walking out the door when her phone rang. As she talked to her brother, I knew something was not right. My grandpa (who we call Papa - since that's what I said when I was little when I couldn't quite say grandpa) had just been diagnosed with blood cancer. Now he was 84, but one of the healthiest and most active 84 year olds I knew. He was still working, playing golf, volunteering with students with severe disabilities, serving at his church, and enjoying life. So this came as quite a shock to our family.

Needless to say, the semester back on the other side of the ocean for me was a roller coaster. I'd get texts one day saying he was doing great and the next day that he was back in intensive care. He went through dialysis, times when he could walk, others when he could hardly sit up, bad infections, many different treatments, and even times when he was going to a meeting at the golf course toward the end. Each day was a new day for him, and for our family. Skype and phone calls during these up and down times were a gift, but I dreaded that final phone call.

During the last week of school, just two hours before the eighth grade commencement ceremony, the phone call came. A call celebrating that Papa is in Heaven because of His faith and trust in Jesus, but of sorrow that we no longer get to celebrate life with him here. As my brother put it, "we just lost one of our favorite people on earth." I was blessed to be able to quickly switch my flight home for the summer, while still staying two more days to be at our students' high school graduation ceremony (which I was also co-coordinating). 

I hopped on the plane the next morning, stepped off onto American soil, hugged my dad for a long time, changed at grandma's real quick, and made it 10 minutes before Papa's wake started. Seeing the casket made it all real, even though it still doesn't quite seem real. In the midst of the tears, I was also filled with joy to be able to be with my family, especially all my cousins from out of town, and to see lines and lines of people impacted by Papa. 

Personally, I have been uniquely blessed to have a close relationship with all four of my grandparents. They have seen me through the formal and informal events of life, including sporting events, birthday dinners, graduations, holidays, and many gatherings in between. All of them have prayed for me and with me, taught me about God's Word, took interest in whatever phase of life I'm in, and have brought a joy and legacy to our family. 

The special qualities of Papa that impacted me the most were...

• His smile that could light up a room
• How he patiently helped my golf game
• His heart for people in need and his example of selflessly serving them
• How he took time to uniquely invest in each of his grandkids - always encouraging us, asking us good questions, and being present
• His love for sports and competition. I enjoyed playing, watching, and talking sports with him. Grandma and he would even come visit during college and we'd go to football games together
• His love for God's word - especially when he left a note in my Bible pointing to his favorite verse, Philippians 1:21, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." 

Hanging out with "Papa"

16th birthday dinner

Adventures together

High School Graduation

Visiting for a football game

College Graduation

As we have celebrated Papa's life and grieve his absence here, God's comfort, peace, and presence have been evident in neat ways the past couple weeks. Here's just a few examples...

1. The morning he died and before I knew, I was already anxious about the busy week ahead and I happened to read Psalm 62. Little did I know how much more comforting that would be as the day went on...
2. When asked how he was doing, Papa always responded, "GREAT!" The morning of his funeral, the weather app simply said "Great".
3. The morning after he died, as my grandma got up, a song he used to sing to all of us girls came on the radio - and none of us had ever heard it besides Papa singing it. 
4. The cousins were able to share sweet memories of Papa at a luncheon after the funeral. The four qualities featured were his faith (which Kyle and I got to talk about), his positivity, his service, and his love. 

Love you Papa and thank you for the legacy you have left!