As the plane lifted off from Charles de Gaulle, the situation became real. The emotions that I tried to tried to hold back started to slip out in small teardrops, welling in my eyes. I knew that if they started to spill down my face, I would spend the rest of the flight in tears. Thankfully, I held it in- avoiding conversations with strangers sitting next to me, trying to read books in French and reviewing photos from my week in Paris. Anything to avoid the tears and nearly everything to avoid thinking about the news I received late Friday night.
When the plane touched down, I gathered my things and faced the fact that my grandpa was gone.
The news I received on Friday night was that my grandpa passed away earlier that day. Nearly a month before his 86th birthday, his journey, on this side of life, came to a close. He left behind a legacy of love- his bride of 62 years, 7 children, 16 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren and countless friends. His memory will live on through the love we continue to share and the stories we will tell and re-tell.
His visitation took place on Wednesday, and his funeral on Thursday. It was touching to see the number of people who came to these events to say good bye to him and to support his family. Together we grieved his loss, but we also celebrated his life. We sang, shared memories, ate delicious food, cried and laughed. The time we spent together constituted exactly the kind of gathering that he would want- we “lived and loved loudly” to honor the man who brought all of us together, my grandpa.
His love was real and it lives on.
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