Death makes one think. I’m a fairly healthy individual. I work out, I watch what I eat (sometimes… I do have that weakness for chocolate, after all) and I smuggle my own popcorn into the movies. We do all these things to prolong our life, but what we are is mortal. We can’t stop death. All we can do is delay it a little while*.

What prompts this morbid subject you ask?

My grandfather died last night. He was 93 years old. In his life, he was in the Army, fought in World War II. He was an engineer. He was a father, a grandfather, and a great grandfather.

When I was a kid, I loved him. He was my favorite grandparent. He would play with us, make funny faces and jokes. When I got into adulthood, he was more withdrawn. I suppose twenty years would do that to a person. He spent a lot of time in his room. He didn’t make the jokes as much anymore. He was old and crotchety, the epitome of the Grumpy Old Man.

I could be angry with him. We didn’t get along all that well in my adult life, after all.  I’d like to think it was the fact that we were too alike. We were both stubborn, and headstrong. We were both too stuck in our ways.

But he was still my grandpa. I’ll always remember him as the guy who made the funny faces and told the jokes.

My grandparents, circa 2006 because after that Grandpa refused to have his picture taken anymore.

*Yes, I did just think of the Princess Bride quote there. “Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.”