I want to start off by saying hi, and I miss you. A lot. Whether it's been 20 years or 3 or any of the years in between for that matter, I feel that there won't ever come a day that I don't miss you immensely. Sometimes I forget what your voice sounds like, or how your hugs felt or the way your clothing smelt, and that makes me more sad. How will I be able to tell stories and recall memories if I am starting to forget?
What I can remember though, well those are treasures I hope to never lose. I can still see you sitting in front of the TV watching old baseball games, or carefully cutting up fruit and sneaking me a piece before dinner. I remember you patiently teaching me how to sing songs in Italian and not getting angry when I couldn't remember the words or pronounced them way wrong. But my favorite memory is when you would allow me to take sips out of your wine glass when we thought no one was looking. Plot twist: they were looking. I'm not really sure what I am trying to say here, just that I miss you a lot and I want you to know that.
A thank you is in order as well. A big thank you, for all the times you made me smile when I was sad, or came over to babysit when I was sick. The times I needed a ride to or from dance classes, you were there for me. Or when I just wanted to see you, you always made time for me.
Thank you for randomly calling me throughout the day, just to let me know you were thinking of me and to ask how I've been. You'll never know how much I loved hearing from you, because I knew you actually cared to talk to me about whatever was on my mind. You knew when I was in a bad mood, which was frequently in the mornings after I had just woken up, and you realized that I would say good morning and have a conversation when I was ready to join the living.
Thank you for telling me stories about your childhood and stories about the war, and of course the stories about when you played ball just because I wanted to hear them over and over again. Thank you for always, always defended me when others tried twisting the story. I'll never forget those stories, how you told them, and how near and dear they are to my heart.
There are so many things that you've taught me that I'll keep with me forever. You taught me to stand up for myself and what I believe in, to take chances, and try new things even if I am scared. I learned where we come from and how we started out is important, as our family background is so important to us. That traveling and music are life's pleasures, and don't pull yourself back when you are meant to go forward. Live life how you choose to because you don't know when it can change and become something completely different. Thank you for teaching me all that you have.
So thank you for being the greatest grandparent a girl could ask for. I hope you have reunited with the family I've never met but have heard tons of stories about, thanks to you. I'm sure one day I'll see you again and I know you are here every, taking every step and new journey with me. As Whitey in One Tree Hill says "the road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination." So thank you for giving me all that I need for this journey.
