2017 was quite the unusual year for me and my sisters. We lost not one, but both of our grandfathers. As our grandparents begin to age, we know it's inevitable. They can even be in poor health, but it always seems to take us by surprise, doesn't it?
The first picture is of my Pepapa Walker. He died in December, but I'm just now getting around to sharing on here. I know most of you have no way of knowing him, but I always share moments like this as a way of documenting them for history's sake. I joke all the time with my family about how much they will have to look back on and reminisce about when I'm long gone. There's nothing like making precious family memories and I intend to capture as many as I can and share all the significant moments for posterity's sake.
Having said that, my Pepapa Walker was such a special man to not only me, but our entire family. I've written about him before as the patriarch of our family for a local news story, but he's the kind of man that you could never run out of good things to say about.
I have the sweetest memories of visiting his farm every weekend as a child and for week long summer visits when school was out. It was there that I learned to ride a horse, build a playhouse out of tin and blocks, a lean-to out of tomato wire, and to climb trees. I also learned about farm life and enjoyed feeding baby calves. When I think about my happiest childhood memories, it always involves being on Pepapa's farm.
As a teen and young adult, he shaped my views of religion and politics as he was a preacher and politician himself. I will be forever grateful for his teaching and I miss him dearly.
Earlier in the year, we lost our Pepapa Futch. I'll be honest and say that I didn't have the same type of relationship with him, but I loved him nonetheless. He was quite the character! A very smart man that did very well for himself farming. My happiest memories of him involve bird shoots (with my Memama's fabulous cooking!), fishing, and deer hunting on the farm with my daddy.
Pepapa was a very strong, hard-headed, and hard-working man. My daddy reminded me alot of him, and through them, I learned how to be more independent, self-sufficient, and strong-willed. As a woman, that's definitely something I feel we all need at times.
I'll never forget killing my first big buck and what a big deal it was to all of them. I miss those days going to bird shoots with them and deer hunting in the fall.
I'm so thankful that a few years ago, Pepapa finally gave his heart to Jesus and that I could know for sure I'd see him in heaven again one day. I love knowing that he and my father are together once again. I'm sure they're having conversations about the big deer that got away or who shot the most birds at one of the dove shoots 😊
 |
| My Pepapa and Memama Futch on one of their anniversaries |
Y'all, hug your grandparents close and make time to listen to their stories while you can. They have a world of knowledge and have witnessed so much in this world throughout their lives.
Labels: personal
