Grandpa's Shoes

Most of my memories of Grandpa Gil involve his running shoes. As a little girl, I thought it was the greatest thing that my Grandpa didn’t wear old codger shoes and shuffle around being cranky. He was vibrant, full of life, laughter and mischief; and in my memory he was always wearing running shoes, going at top speed, and urging the rest of us to keep up.

I remember trying to keep up with Grandpa and his running shoes as we walked through Disneyland, Alpine, historic Folsom, and Lake of the Pines. I remember tagging along behind him and his running shoes as he worked around his house, tended the garden, and did his best to thwart those pesky deer. I remember following him and those running shoes with anticipation as he showed me where to look for the tiny frogs around their yard that fascinated me so much.

Those shoes have become for me a symbol of Grandpa’s energy, of his delight in life, love, and humor, and his eagerness to experience and share. They represent his wonderful ability to take us places, show us things, and to keep us laughing along the way.

I also have many other cherished memories of Grandpa Gil that don’t involve those shoes: the countless times he pulled the “got your nose” gag on me; his continual joking and ribbing; the way he would end the night saying “I’m goin’ upstairs to warsh ma teeth!”; the way he would greet me each day by declaring “Good morning, sunshine!”; and later on in life when his memory began to fade, the way he would refer to me as “the one who sings,” which always made me feel loved and recognized even though he could no longer remember my name.

My most recent memories are of Christmas Eve family dinners and visits to his care center with my husband and son. I treasure those opportunities to spend just a little more time with him and to give David and Rhys a chance to get to know him as well; seeing the gleam return to his eye during a lucid moment; hearing him and Grandma giggle and tease each other with their heads bent together; watching his eyes well up with tears, causing my own to do the same, as I sang to him a few precious last times.

All of these wonderful memories I have of Grandpa Gil will stay with me forever, but I believe my favorite ones, the ones that will remind me to do my best to keep up with the amazing person he was, will be my memories of Grandpa’s shoes.

Farewell and much love Grandpa, until we meet again. You faithfully completed your mission on this earth, and left behind some pretty remarkable tracks for all of us to follow

Grandpa enjoying the music at his 98th birthday party