Sad, and healing...

I just discovered that a friend lost her grandfather a few days ago. It's so strange. This is the third person I know, including me, who has lost a grand parent in the past few weeks. All these great people, influences, lost. At the same time, there is so much we are left by these elder generations. Once they are no longer with us, we have to remember everything we've been taught and told by, seen and heard from them. That's the only way that we'll ever be able to pass on any of their wisdom to anyone else. Or, for that matter, use it ourselves in our own lives. Which I think is what grandparents are all about. They aren't the ones who actually raise us--or at least not usually. But they raised their children to raise us. And then, they could watch us, enjoy us and love us from that one generation's distance. A built-in total love and support and cheerleading section for everything we did--from crawling, to talking, to walking, to school, to life. Grandparents are amazing. I know I loved mine. I still do, within myself. Because I like to think I see a bit of each of them in me. A bit that they put there. Just by being present. And sometimes, when I really need to, I think I feel a guiding hand on my shoulder now, and I try to be guided by it because I know--they couldn't lead me wrong. At the same time, not one of them would ever want us to live our lives to please anyone but ourselves (and maybe God), so I still trust my gut in the end--after all, they helped instill those instincts, too. I guess, I just wanted to give a little tribute to those who've gone before. It's part of healing for me. To think that I have people who love me waiting for me somewhere--on the other side of here. If I'm lucky, maybe this will help a couple of you, too... Take care and be well.