You should be here, standing with your arm around me here.
Cutting up, cracking a cold beer, saying cheers, hey y'all it's sure been a good year.
It's one of those moments that's got your name written all over it.
And you know that if I had just one wish it'd be that you didn't have to miss this.
You should be here.

Dear Grampy,

There are many things I wish I could still say to you that I never got the chance to say. You were taken from our family so soon and I miss you more and more everyday. I never really had the chance to tell you how much you mean to me, so this letter will help explain.

Thank you for teaching me that hard work pays off.

You were single-handedly the hardest worker I have ever met. Whether it was delivering seed to the farmers, or working in your own fields, you were always working so hard. Day in and day out, you got up early in the mornings to hoe the tobacco field or check the crops. You never batted an eye when it came to farm work. You were always the first one out and the last one in. You pushed us kids to work just as hard as you did, because you knew it would pay off eventually.

Thank you for allowing me to be exactly like you.

So many times, people have told me that I am exactly like you. We had the same personality. You would spat off something to me, and I would always hand it right back to you, and you accepted it. You accepted me and my sarcastic ways, because you knew I took after you. It was always so much fun being able to joke with each other but at the end of the day, I knew how much you loved me.

You went through so many struggles in life and you overcame all of them.

From being stuck underneath a lawn mower to being diagnosed with ALS, you stayed strong. Heck, your shoulder was out of socket for how many months and you just went on with your day like it was no big deal! When we found out you had ALS, we were devastated. But you weren't. You knew you had to stay strong for your family and the farm. Even when you were stuck in your house, you still made sure that the crops were planted and you were always there for advice when we had questions regarding farm work.

Thank you for being the best friend and supporter I could ever ask for.

I knew I could tell you anything without any judgement. We laughed together, worked together, and so much more. You provided our whole family with handfuls of memories that we will never forget and I'm so blessed that I got to spend eighteen years of my life with you. I love and miss you so much, Grampy, and I can't wait to see you again.

It's not goodbye, just I'll see you later.