Dear Grandpa

Dear Grandpa,

My mission president called this morning to tell me that you died.

I was in the middle of personal study, and Alma jumped to mind to remind me that you have been "taken home to the God that gave you life."

I wonder if you will make Him laugh. You certainly make me laugh. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel," you'd say to me when my braids hung long down my back. When I came back from Jerusalem you changed the tune. "Them Arabs are lobbin' rockets over, are they?" you'd say. I'd laugh and explain things in detail, but my voice wasn't laud enough to clarify the whole of the situation. So we'd smile and laugh and love each other even though we couldn't really communicate.

I'll miss the deafness. I hope that's not disrespectful. But the absence of hearing made for some pretty comical conversations, Grandpa! If you have an angelic videographer, I'd recommend watching the back reels sometime.

You know what else I remember? (Forgive my reminiscing, but it feels cathartic today.) I remember massaging your bald head as a kid. I thought it was a bit weird, but I liked to do it because you seemed so satisfied to sit in the kitchen chair and let your grandchildren rub your head.

I took notes on the stories you told at the cabin when I was a teenager. The titles betray your most infamous tales: "The Amorous Bear," "Marriage in a Sheep-camp," "Eleven Miracle Children," "Tithing and Trickery," and "Hymns in the Navy" are among my favorites. You are a master storyteller.

Thank you for raising eleven beautiful children, Grandpa. One of them is my dad, and I think the world of him...His ten siblings and their spouses and children are pretty fabulous, too. You provided me with a child's delight: cousins by the dozens, three big cabins, a farm, fishing, a few lakes, and mountains to rove. I wouldn't be who I am today without cousins and cabins and really wonderful family traditions.

Thanks for taking care of your lovely wife. She's a hero of mine. I accidentally stumbled upon a stack of love letters when I was visiting you last year. I shouldn't have read them, but I did, and may I say that you are a romantic! I hope I meet a guy with as much class as you someday.

I'll miss you, Grandpa. Please watch over me here. I think you'd like Oklahoma. If you notice my spirits getting glum, feel free to poke me with a funny story every now and then. Take care of Grandma as best as you can from that side of the veil, and we'll watch over her here.

It is tradition for all of your children and grandchildren to give you a birthday wish. And, in keeping with tradition, I wish you a very good catch. I hope the fishing is good in heaven! Or hell. Hehe, only joking. I hear that one of your last comments was something about how 90 years is too *$%*! old. Swearing always strikes me as offensive...except when it comes from you, Grandpa. Then it's just funny. A mouth like yours probably fits somewhere less than celestial, but wherever you are I hope I go, too. :)

Happy 90th!!

Your adoring granddaughter,
-Sister Jenny Stewart (ie: Rapunzel)