My Personal Essay
I am dedicating this essay to my grandfather who passed away at the age of 90. Him passing was the first significant loss in my family I’ve ever had, and it made me look at life in a new way. My grandfather was a very practical man. He told my dad who was on a tight budget around the time I was born to suggest to my farther to not have any more kids because kids are expensive. On my grandfather’s 80th birthday, my farther called him and said you have a grandson that will share the same birthday as you. My grandfather had a lot of pain in his lifetime breaking both legs 5 times. He was worn out and tired of life because he had felt like he had done what he wanted. But me being born on his birthday, with a third grandkid running around it gave him a new light so to speak that he wanted to live and be around for me to spend birthdays together.
We did share 10 birthdays together and we became very close, I went to see him about twice a week every week that I had the chance to. Then I was really happy because my grandfather moved into my parents assisted living where back then I spent most of my time there. Because my parts worked long 24 sometimes 48 hour shifts. So then I saw my grandfather four to five times a week and I would keep him company in his room.
When I was younger my grandfather lived at Ocean Park. We would go stay at his house to visit him and go clam digging witch my family and I have done since I could walk. It was fun to do as a family but the weather is never predictable it’s mostly cold windy or rainy. My grandfather could not clam anymore by the time I was born, but he would sit out in the car and we would dig his clam limit for him.
The day that my grandfather died was the very first time I had ever seen my dad cry. He was the one that helped everyone else through when we cried as little kids. But when he came out of my grandfather’s room crying I knew he was gone, before he told us and before he could say anything I was balling my eyes out ran up and hugged him. I went to see my grandfather for the last time and I held onto his hand and said goodbye. I won’t ever forget how thick his almost silver grey hair was. He had more hair then my dad did at 90 then my dad did when he was 50. My grandfather was cremated and he wanted his ashes in the ocean like he had done to my grandma who had died long before I was born because of breast cancer. When we put his ashes in the ocean I was thinking that they could finally be together again. I always think about spending time with my grandfather, but it wasn’t till when I was 13 that my dad told me my grandfather’s last words were. Take care of Logan for me when I am gone.