Papa

                For awhile now I’ve needed to write another blog, but I had no idea what to write about. Writer’s block hit me hard, and I thought and I struggled to come up with a topic. I even recruited my mom to help me think of an idea, and you know what? She actually helped! I know a helpful parent? So uncommon these days. Just kidding. Kinda.

                She told me to write about my grandpa, who passed away a year and a half ago. Papa was the greatest man ever. He was the ultimate craftsman, the ultimate chef, and most importantly the ultimate grandpa.

                Papa always put his family before himself. Nothing meant more to him than his family. If something was wrong, Papa was the first one to notice, and the first one to fix the problem. He knew when to make you laugh, and how to calm you down. He was the one who kissed boo-boo’s when we fell down, and he was the one who was up to anything. Even the most outrageous schemes us kids would come up with, Papa would go along with them. He would build us the best pillow/chair/blanket fort ever, and taught all us grandchildren how to fly a kite. He gave me my first fish tank on my seventh birthday. On the day I was born, he walked into the hospital with a pink balloon and a fishing pole. I used that fishing pole until it became too small to use. Papa was a religious man who went to church every Sunday; come rain or shine, he was there ready to sing as loud and off key as possible. Every Easter he would make Polish sausage- his was always the best. He would wear a Santa hat every Christmas, to match his white beard. He would read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas as many times as we asked him to, without complaint. He would play baseball in the backyard with us, even though we stunk. He would help us chop up wood to teach us how to build a proper fire. He built us whatever we wanted him to build: toy cars, baby cradles, rocking horses.

                But the best thing about Papa? He had the one thing not a lot of people have anymore. He loved unconditionally. It didn’t matter what you looked like, it didn’t matter what you wore, it didn’t matter who you were. Papa loved you at your absolute worst, so that he could be there for you at your absolute best. He was the greatest Papa ever, and no one will ever be able to replace the amazing relationship he and I had.

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