A letter to Pepaw

A couple of weeks ago we received some sad news…. My grandfather (Pepaw) has received the diagnosis of inoperable cancer. The cancer is progressing rather quickly and without a miracle from the Lord, this cancer is terminal.

The night I found out I spent a lot of time crying. I don't think Cohen had ever seen me really cry. He was so sweet. He spent most of the night curled up in my lap, hugging me and playing with my hair. He never sits in my lap that long! Later that night we were looking at a picutre of Pepaw and I was reading him a letter that Memaw and Pepaw wrote him when we was born. Here was our conversation:
Me: "Pepaw is sick and he doesn't feel very good."
Cohen: "boo-boo"
Me: "Yes, it's kind of like he has a boo-boo."
Cohen then leans over and kisses the picture of Pepaw and says, "all better!"
It was so refreshing to see the pureness and innocence of his little heart. He truly thought that Pepaw was all better because of his kiss. Why not, right? His boo-boos are better after a kiss.

It’s been a tough couple of weeks on our entire family, but this time has allowed me to reflect on a lot of things. I’m grateful that I have some time while Pepaw is still on this earth to share these thoughts with him.

Dear Pepaw,

I know for all of us this news has been, in some ways, more difficult to bear than it has been for you. You are coming to the time that you lived your entire life for… you are going to the one place where you will feel no more pain…The place where you will meet our Glorious Father… and you will hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” I’m convinced that you will see faces of hundreds of men and women whom you have led to know Christ either through your example, your faithfulness, your generosity to the poor in your community, or your boldness to speak Truth.

As I look back on your past 29 ½ years of being a grandparent… here are some memories I have:


- My afternoons at the store…. Chandy and I would anxiously await the hour when Memaw would finally release us to go over to the store. We would look both ways before we crossed the street in case there were any crazy Haworth drivers coming, then we would dart across. If it was lunchtime, you would always make us two of your famous Redland Store sandwiches. Now these weren’t just any sandwiches. I can still taste them as I’m thinking about it. They had the softest white bread I had ever sank my teeth into (so soft it would stick to the roof of my mouth after each bite), slathered with Miracle Whip (for some reason this Miracle Whip was much better than what Mom had in our refrigerator at home), layered with your thinly sliced ham (you would never let me get close to the machine while you were shaving the ham), and a cold piece of American cheese. Then we would sit on the bench while Glenn Farley told us stories. Now looking back I don’t think any of them were true, but he definitely kept us listening. If we were good, you would let us come around behind the counter and roll pennies. And if we were really good you would let us each get a coke from the coke box and a candy. I would get a Snickers and Chandy would get Skittles. Now looking back it was so simple, but those were some of the days I looked forward to the most.


- Reading stories…. Remember when I would crawl up in your chair with you and you would read me a book. I didn’t know until later in my adult life that you weren’t reading the story that was on the pages. You were making up your own story. I guess that’s why story time seemed better when you were reading!


- I never got in trouble… that’s right. I only remember getting in trouble with you one time. That’s when I locked the one-and-only bathroom door from the inside so that no one could get in. (I have no idea why I did that.) You had to get a bobby pin and jimmy the door open. That’s the only time I remember getting in trouble…. You left most of that to Memaw.


- Your love for “42”… now that I’m older I wish I would have learned to play with you and Memaw. Even though you tried more times than I can count to teach me the rules, I just never had enough patience. Lucky for you guys I married a 42 player!


The one thing I will hold most dear to my heart is not a memory, but the legacy you have left with your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Because of your and Memaw’s decision to make Jesus the center of your life, I have a mother and father who raised me to have a relationship with Him, and because Chad and I have that personal relationship with Jesus, we will raise our children to know Him in hopes that someday they will not only know him as their Savior but live a life sold out to Him.

Thank you for following the Deuteronomy 6 commandment that God gave to Israel..

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

We’re all blessed to have a Pepaw like you!

I love you,

Cassy