A Memory that will last a life time

How many 78 year olds look this good?

I am super blessed to have all 4 grandparents still alive!  I even had 2 great grandparents alive up until a few years ago.  Growing up I was super close to my grandparents.  I had my "strict" grandparents from my Dads side, that spoiled me secretly, and taught me life lessons.  And I had my "traditional" Grandparents that spoiled me rotten and let me get away with murder on my Moms side.

As I grew older and began to start my own life I spent less and less time with my grandparents.  In 2010, my Grandpa(moms side) was diagnosed with cancer.  This was huge reality shock to me that my grands won't be around forever.  So my oldest daughter and my expecting self, spent a few days with my Grandpa during his Chemo treatments.  It was a heart wrenching time to see my Grampa, so weak and frail.  I have always known him to be a strong, tough and charismatic man.  He still had the personality, but he looked much, much different.  During that visit he took me to Pizza Hut, our special spot that he would take me every friday as a child. It was very emotional for me, because I didn't know if he would get better.

Gramps giving gifts to his great grand daughter! His first time meeting her,!

Fast forward 3 years and he is healed and back to his normal self.  Still not 100%, but heck he over came cancer, that's huge stuff. My Grandpa lives 2 hours away and I just found out thursday he would be moving about 5 hours away.  So I decided to take the opportunity to spend the day with Him before he left.

It was such an emotional time, because I don't know when or if I will see him again. My Grandpa has lived his life very lavishly.  He was a very well off man with a thriving business for many decades.  He didn't know the Lord personally and ran after the possessions of this world.  Though I enjoyed the benefits of having a "rich" Grandpa growing up, I always knew he was missing something.  True Happiness. When he got diagnosed with cancer and lost his business and all his assets, I think it hit him "what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul".  My Grampy got saved, and three years later is still living for Jesus!

Today when we showed up at his home, he took all of our hands and prayed for us.  I began to tear up, could this be the same Grandpa that I grew up knowing?  And he had, what I knew he was missing his whole life, TRUE JOY!  Only God given!  Now at the end of his life, no he may no longer be a rich man, but he has eternal riches and I admire him so much!

It blessed me so much to spend the day with him, I took him to pizza hut! I was driving him around town! And what a joy that was for him to see his Grand daughter at the end of his days doing for him the same things he did for her!  When I was 5 years old, I made a promise to him that I would never forget him in his old age and take care of him.  He has always reminded me of that vow, and I am thankful I carried it out!

So moral of the story, cherish those who are still alive with you.  Today I just gazed at my grandpas handsome face as if I had never seen it before, and as if I may never see it again.  I held him tight, and asked him all the questions I could!  He truly holds the most special place in my heart, and I am so thankful to have him as MY GRANPA!

Gramps telling us about his travels all over the world in his youth.  In this photo he is in china and is about 50 years old! My Grams is SOOOOO Handsome!

The "Taylors" My Mom, my kids, my precious Grampa and me!

A Day I will never forget! And a day I hope they never forget either!