Do you still remember Candy Cane Lane....?
Hey Gramp!
Do you remember your Mom being the number one Catholic in Ohio? Do you remember playing basketball in your chucks? How about meeting Grandma, dancing with her and stealing her from Tisset cause he didn't have a job...and you had the sense enough to take her out on the town? If it hadn't been for your job at the gas station, we may not have ever existed. What about being stuck to the radio until TV came around? Not only that, but do you remember steam powered cars? How about when paved roads came about? Playing cards & going bowling? Bathtub gin? Which is really just vodka in a bathtub during prohibition. Do you remember the families that would invite you in for a buck or so to hide in the back of the house and drink it? How about the time you had afterward?
Do you remember taking care of your first baby? How about deciding to leave your family behind in Ohio to start a new one in Los Angeles with Grandma? Do you remember contributing to & witnessing the invention of the orange cone? Bet you never knew that tread guy would make you a legend in my mind!
Something I will always wonder is if you'll remember doing your hair that morning, cause it looked so quaffed in your wedding picture... and also the hat that Grandma wore? Do you remember dearly the two friends that were there with you, to witness your profession of love? To honor and obey & be all the things that a lady needs, as she promises the same thing to her man? Do you remember ever thinking that you would have such a big family? That one day we would all sit in a room and ponder and weep about what a man you are, that all our husbands would wish that they could be such a man? How about your 50th Anniversary, that you made it to that mark and the two of you danced as if you were on a cloud?
There was also this place we used to go, during Christmas, do you remember the lights & how your grandchildren were so excited? Did you hold Grandma's hand while we drove through the lane & have pride in us?
How about technology? Did ya ever think? How about how Huck Finn it was that your Grandaughter bought an old truck, and was lucky enough to drive you around in it & listen to Pasty Cline with bumping base in your twilight years. Do you remember going for sandwiches and ice cream? Grocery shopping and Martini's? Law and Order & KFC? Taking little walks to the corner bar? To CJ's on Valentines day for meatloaf & a beer? Being my confidant & surprising me with the sense you came back with at all my problems? Even relating to my situation from things so long ago, not holding it against me?
How about how sorry I am that the time we spent couldn't have been with Grandma too? Did you note that? That it took too long for me to mature enough to know it was more important than anything in the world for me to be with the two of you. My favorite people in the whole world. Thank goodness for you, for you being in love with Grandma. For sticking around so I could get to know you & be more like you.
In all the rush, when I finally arrived at your side in the end, I forgot to tell you to remember your Mom / and that she would be there beside Grandma to commend you on your life and times, to have pride in her son & all that he contributed to this world. I hope that for Sonny, there is someone in the world to be there for him after I'm gone. To appreciate all that he is & realize that a rotten old man is really just sad, alone, and in need of this friendship.
Do you remember that I love you? And can you tell her for me? Tell her that I can't wait to see her again?
Amen.
Do you remember your Mom being the number one Catholic in Ohio? Do you remember playing basketball in your chucks? How about meeting Grandma, dancing with her and stealing her from Tisset cause he didn't have a job...and you had the sense enough to take her out on the town? If it hadn't been for your job at the gas station, we may not have ever existed. What about being stuck to the radio until TV came around? Not only that, but do you remember steam powered cars? How about when paved roads came about? Playing cards & going bowling? Bathtub gin? Which is really just vodka in a bathtub during prohibition. Do you remember the families that would invite you in for a buck or so to hide in the back of the house and drink it? How about the time you had afterward?
Do you remember taking care of your first baby? How about deciding to leave your family behind in Ohio to start a new one in Los Angeles with Grandma? Do you remember contributing to & witnessing the invention of the orange cone? Bet you never knew that tread guy would make you a legend in my mind!
Something I will always wonder is if you'll remember doing your hair that morning, cause it looked so quaffed in your wedding picture... and also the hat that Grandma wore? Do you remember dearly the two friends that were there with you, to witness your profession of love? To honor and obey & be all the things that a lady needs, as she promises the same thing to her man? Do you remember ever thinking that you would have such a big family? That one day we would all sit in a room and ponder and weep about what a man you are, that all our husbands would wish that they could be such a man? How about your 50th Anniversary, that you made it to that mark and the two of you danced as if you were on a cloud?
There was also this place we used to go, during Christmas, do you remember the lights & how your grandchildren were so excited? Did you hold Grandma's hand while we drove through the lane & have pride in us?
How about technology? Did ya ever think? How about how Huck Finn it was that your Grandaughter bought an old truck, and was lucky enough to drive you around in it & listen to Pasty Cline with bumping base in your twilight years. Do you remember going for sandwiches and ice cream? Grocery shopping and Martini's? Law and Order & KFC? Taking little walks to the corner bar? To CJ's on Valentines day for meatloaf & a beer? Being my confidant & surprising me with the sense you came back with at all my problems? Even relating to my situation from things so long ago, not holding it against me?
How about how sorry I am that the time we spent couldn't have been with Grandma too? Did you note that? That it took too long for me to mature enough to know it was more important than anything in the world for me to be with the two of you. My favorite people in the whole world. Thank goodness for you, for you being in love with Grandma. For sticking around so I could get to know you & be more like you.
In all the rush, when I finally arrived at your side in the end, I forgot to tell you to remember your Mom / and that she would be there beside Grandma to commend you on your life and times, to have pride in her son & all that he contributed to this world. I hope that for Sonny, there is someone in the world to be there for him after I'm gone. To appreciate all that he is & realize that a rotten old man is really just sad, alone, and in need of this friendship.
Do you remember that I love you? And can you tell her for me? Tell her that I can't wait to see her again?
Amen.
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