Papa Red

We said goodbye to Papa Red this weekend.
It was completely expected, and yet, still so hard.
It broke my heart, to tell Jack, who cried with me for a few minutes.
I told him that we would always have wonderful memories of him.
Jack said he would always remember that "Papa was in the Navy".

How blessed my kids were to have had a GREAT grandpa.
How blessed was I to have a grandpa so great.


(Papa's senior picture, 1943)

(U.S. Navy, 1944)

(World War II)

(Papa Red, my Dad, uncle, and Grandma Pearl)

celebrating a birthday

Family Shot, December 2010


We went through a bunch of old photos today at my parents' house.
Some were funny, lots of good memories...
Like, this one.


The day after telling Jack, he came to me, and said,
"You know. I still miss Papa Red. I am still sad".
"Me, too", I replied, " me, too".
and then, in his almost-8-year-old wisdom said,
"...(sigh)...if only life had a re-set button".