Dear Opa;
I am sad that you have left us. I really wanted you to meet Othy and your great grandchild Moses. I am sorry that we are not able to come to the funeral and to be with Oma and the family at this time. We lived far away from you and so we didn’t have the grandfather grandchild relationship that I would have hoped for, but I cherished the short moments we had together on each visit whether it was you and Oma visiting us in Canada, or the few visits I made to the Netherlands. Despite the language barrier, your love for us was expressed so fully in your gestures, humour, and big hugs. I am thankful that you had a relationship with your heavenly Father. In your old age you struggled with various physical disabilities, and so I am happy that you now have relief from those things and can now jump, hear, and see! I look forward to being reunited someday.
Opa and I when we visited Niagara falls as a family in 2012 during their last visit to Canada
I remember a dutch song about Opas called “M’n Opa” because during our second trip to the Netherlands when we were still toddlers, my parents took a video of Jen and I dancing to this song around a coffee table. Now I have created a video of me singing it to Moses. Enjoy! The english translation is below.
Every Sunday afternoon he brought toffies for me
I remember the games Opa played with me
Play a restaurant and my Opa was the cook
Playing the goat cart and my Opa was the goat
My Opa, my Opa, my Opa
There was no one like him in all of Europe
My Opa, my Opa, my Opa
And nobody was so nice to me
All over Europe, my old Opa
No one like him anywhere
All over Europe, my own Opa
Nobody is so nice to me
My old Opa
Life Section 
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