I made a trip back to where I grew up back in August. I had not been “home” for about 6 years and it was a pretty emotional trip for me. I had gone through some pretty ugly things when I moved away and going back stirred up a whole mess of emotions!
One of the things that was really heartbreaking for me was to see how difficult life had become for some of the people I love so dearly. For some reason I felt like if I had just stayed there I could have made a difference in their lives and “saved” them from so much pain. I realize how silly that thinking is but that is how I felt.
The thing that really got my attention though was my Grandfather Archie. Don’t get me wrong I have no false ideas that he is somehow without major flaws but he is an absolutely amazing man. The first thing that got my attention was I stopped by my Grandmothers grave site who had died 15 years previously when I first got to town and who do I see leaving as I pull up? My Grandfather who is still head over heels in love after her being gone for 15 years! Now that is love!
Then I got to see him interact with all of his kids, grand kids and great grand kids and it was so beautiful to watch. The one that overwhelmed me was catching him tending to the chickens with my eight year old son. Nobody was around and I caught it on video. It was priceless.
I spent some time in his bedroom looking at his photographs of the stations of the cross and considered his love and faithful service to his God. It was overwhelming. I read through the history of his family name and heritage hanging on his wall and it made me feel honored to be his grandson. I spent time looking at the pictures of his life scattered all over his home and was struck by all the lives he had touched and that had touched him.
Visiting him filled me with hope that simply a life well lived is honorable and the simple legacy of a man who served his country his family and his God is what its all about. My only wish is that I can be half the man he is!
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