The Innocence of a Child

Children have the uncanny ability to bring joy and laughter to any situation and to bring a smile to a face that hasn't had a reason to smile for awhile. Kaden is no exception. A few posts ago we visited my Grandpa Earl over Christmas Eve in the nursing home and at that time, the idea of that being the last time I would see him, didn't cross my mind but in reality it could have been. On Monday, I received a call from my mom and dad letting me know that Grandpa had faded quite a bit and that they weren't sure how much time he had. On Tuesday, Kaden and I loaded up the tahoe and headed south to say our proper "goodbye". Not sure how one says goodbye to someone they love so instead of saying goodbye, I held his hand and told him I was there. Told him that Kaden and I were both there with him and that we loved him more than he would ever know. While I held his hand, Kaden was off charming the family with his sweet and innocent (and not so innocent) personality. He was loving, he was cuddly, he was exactly what we needed and more importantly what Grandma Sara needed.

Losing someone is never easy but unfortunately that is the circle of life. Grandpa continues to hold on and before this week, if you would have asked me where my stubbornness came from, it was an easy answer-The Hartley Side-my dad particularly. Now, I'm not so sure, Grandpa continues to pull through each day, not wanting it to be his last, so maybe it has been the Earl side all along and being stubborn isn't such a bad thing.

Grandpa, thank you for all the love and support over the years. I will alway cherish our memories and keep them close to my heart. Thank you for teaching me the game of pool and allowing my husband to brag on my ability to play-he will only play with me, never against me. You always allowed me to use the crutch on whatever shot I needed and I think that was the key, it taught me my angles. I will never look at a piece of Werther's candy the same again. And how I will miss sitting at your house and hearing the radio go off with all the men talking about where the coyotes are or who got stuck in such and such field. Simply put,  it won't be the same but I guess that is exactly how it should be-you have made a permanent mark in our lives and will have left behind a pretty amazing legacy.

It goes without saying that over the next few days/weeks that Kaden will be the sunlight to our grey days. It will be faces like these and the love of a family that will help us get through it all.