This blog post is dedicated to my wonderful grandfather, Jack Shaw. At age 93, he passed away early this morning. Opa (the name my brother and I called him), was one of the people I loved most in this world.
I have always had a very special relationship with my grandparents. After I was born, my grandparents kept me during the day when my mom went back to work, until I was 2 years old. So many of my first memories take place at my grandparent's house, while under my grandparent's care. My Oma and Opa were great at being grandparents. What does that mean? They spoiled me ROTTEN! Anything I wanted, I got. Anywhere I wanted to go, we went. Did my parents appreciate how much Oma and Opa spoiled me? Absolutely not. (Although, with the arrival of Ava, I think my parents understand how easy it is to spoil a grandchild.) Here is a picture of my Oma and Opa with me as an infant.
The following picture is probably one of my all-time favorites. I vividly remember wanting nothing more than to sit on my Opa's lap. No matter what time of day, what kind of mood he was in, or what he was doing, my grandfather was more than willing to offer his knee for me to sit on.
I could write a novel filled with all of the wonderful memories I have of my grandfather. Whether or not a novel gets written, the least I could do was publish this post, sharing a few pictures and a few memories to give you a glimpse of my loving grandfather.
The last time that I was able to spend time with my Opa was Christmas, 2008. The following picture was taken at my grandparent's house during our trip.
My mom, Ava and I were supposed to fly out to Utah this morning so that Oma and Opa could meet their first great-grandchild. Without getting into all of the details, we were advised by my grandmother not to fly out because my grandpa wasn't feeling well. It was a tough decision, but my mom and I opted to cancel our trip and reschedule for sometime next month. Sadly, when we do make our trip to Utah in the coming weeks, Ava will miss the opportunity to get to know her wonderful, loving Opa. My mom and I are thrilled however, that Ava will surely lift the spirits of my grandmother!
Here is yet another picture of our family taken during our December 2008 trip to Utah. Left to Right, Top/Bottom: My Dad, Oma, Opa, My Mom, My Brother (Ryan), Me and My Hubby!
Jack Maurice Shaw
June 1, 1916 - February 11, 2010
Love you, Opa!
(Your "Little Girl")
1 comment:
Mom and I loved reading your post Melissa. What great pictures, especially of you and Opa! You were truly his "little girl". I remember as your Dad, I had a big hill to climb to keep up with how much he spoiled you and how much he loved you! Dad
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