Dear Grandpa;
It is hard to believe that you are gone. I am glad that you are now with your Lord and Saviour, reunited with Grandma, and without pain or memory loss. I am so glad you were a part of my life and I have many fond memories. I will always remember how orderly and proper you were with your tasks as well as your language. Your garden and workshop always looked immaculate. I feel like I will have achieved something if my future workshop is half as tidy as yours always was! Even though it was your second language, you learned to speak English perfectly and you often corrected our grammar. Whenever I say “I am well” instead of “I am good”, I think of you! You had the biggest dictionary I have ever seen, and also the tiniest one that is only 5cm tall and is now mine. I think I get some of my joy of craftsmanship and growing things from you. I always admired your beautiful gardening and enjoyed getting tours of your greenhouse. You always dressed up to the nines on Sunday morning complete with classy suspenders. You had a sweet tooth for dutch cookies which meant we could always take seconds or thirds. Sometimes we would get ice-cream for dessert and always told us that it would get colder if we stirred it. You joined us with Grandma in games of Frustration, Chicken Feet, and Mexican Train. You had the first laptop that we ever saw and let us play the occasional game of solitaire. You always had a cheerful attitude and I think that it served you well as you got older. I feel like you grew a little softer and were able to express your love more often. You also kept your sense of humour until the very end, particularly the ability to make puns! While I was getting a ride with her to the funeral, my cousin Diane told me that during a visit, when she told you that she had married a DeWalle, you said “Does he drive you up de wall?” lol! I admire you for moving through old age with grace, even though I imagine it was incredibly scary and lonely at times. You weren’t very vocal about your faith but we could see it in your commitment to Grandma and to your church. You also loved to sing praises to God which I think I have gotten from you as well. I’m glad that you and Othy got to meet last year but am sad you were not able to have more time to connect. He enjoyed meeting you and speaking the bit of Malay he knew with you! I am thankful that I was able to come back from Uganda to honour your memory. When I was getting ready to go back, Mom sent me off with peppermints and dropjes, another wonderful tradition passed on from you and Grandma. Until we meet again,
Your loving granddaughter.
Can still make a funny face!
Life Section 
Leave a Reply