Sunday, June 28, 2009

...

I don't have a title for this post.

My grandpa past away this morning.

Just felt a real urge to post this.

Especially because I'm here and my whole family is there.

My dad and sister told me both that I really shouldn't come, or more accurate- there's no need for me to come to Israel now. As my dad said loving him from afar is the same as loving him from home. It still doesn't feel as if it's the right decision to make. But I guess that's the way it is. I'll have to deal with my sorrow here.

I can't tell you how sad I am. Losing such a grandpa is a real lost.

My grandpa.... Here I want to write "is". I guess I'll have to get used to saying "was".

A man who seemed to catch languages as if from the air. A man who accepted the people he loved with a big hug and no judgments. A man who believed that work is all we have and without work a man is not a man. A man who told me in our last conversation on the phone, that a husband is a present one should be thankful for... An old fashioned man, with a huge heart and a lot of life wisdom. A man who never stopped learning. A man who was never afraid of telling me that he loves me. A man who took care of his wife although it was already hard for him as well. A man who was modest and generous at the same time. A man who never got stuck in the past, and learned from his life experiences. A very beloved man and a very special grandpa to his 7 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter.

I will never forget the times we went to visit him as kids. Going to my grandpa always meant being treated like birthday girls, no matter the time of the year. He loved sweets, and always gave us birthday bags with sweets and candy in them as we left his apartment. His wife would cook the most delicious food for us. The kind of food one yearns for. Visiting my grandpa was always a celebration.

He used to always have Mentos candy in his car.

When we came to his shop he would urge us to take with us more and more clothes.

Every time I was there, in his shop, there would be somebody coming in, trying something on and saying later that they can't pay for it. My grandpa would write down in his little notebook the amount and name and let the person pay whenever they could.

He had a small bag of money in a drawer, with just a few coins in it. It was there to give to the beggars and religious guys coming to collect donations. He always gave a Shekel or two. He said the reason he has this little bag is that this way they can't see all the money he has in his cashier.

He would let women take mans pants with them home to let their sons and husbands try it for free at home and bring it back if the size was wrong.

He could always put himself in other peoples shoes.

I already miss him.

1 comment:

May said...

I'm so sorry and sad to hear about your grandfather :( My condolences.

Your wrote a beautiful post. Your grandfather definitely sound like he was a wonderful man. Keep on the memories and good times.

Sending you a big hug...