Poppie

A year from now you will wish you had started today. -Karen Lamb

I will forever remember the man who loved me from the day I was born; I was Poppie's (my grandpa) first grandchild. I will remember the weekends playing at my grandparent's house--- riding our bikes in the cul de sac, climbing trees, building forts, picking rose's in my Nannie's rose garden, playing hide & go seek, chasing my cousins around the house.

Poppie was the grandpa who never missed a basketball game, track meet, cross country meet. He was the one who told my dad he thought he coached "us girls too much like male athletes." I still laugh about it to this day.

He told me my 1st ghost stories with my best friend in elementary on Halloween as we sat on the porch all dressed up and ready to go trick or treat. The adventures of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane will always hold a dear place in my heart.

Vacations to Disney World, Panama City, Myrtle Beach, white water rafting in the mountains, and every little hole in the wall/ nook & cranny in Georgia I am sure I visited. Poppie treated us like queens everywhere we traveled.

These are the memories I will hold dear to my hear. I choose today to celebrate my Poppie's life and not mourn his death. God works in amazing ways. Last night was one of the hardest nights, as all of us told our grandpa goodbye over the phone knowing that he could not respond. But, the simple fact that he wanted to hear our voices one last time before closing his eyes for the very last time makes me smile. I officially turned my lamp off last night at 11:38pm and said a prayer as I was falling asleep. I asked Jesus to take Poppie tonight and comfort my Nannie, Dad, and uncle.

I woke up this morning to a text from my dad that read "Poppie passed away at 11:43..." 5 minutes after I prayed the above prayer. Irony. I doubt it. I know Jesus hears my prayers.

Today was a reminder to me that all I have is now. This very moment. This is it and it's perfect. I will not look back on my life and wish I had started yesterday.

To the man who set the bar, raised the standard, shaped me into who I am today, and loved me unconditionally--- I love you, Poppie!