an old story

When I was a little kid 6-7 I always loved hanging out with my grandpa and trying to help him with working on building something. My grandpa or as I call him “papa” he always worked with his hands.

I remember a time I was helping well trying to help as much as a 7 year old  can with building a bathroom and helping him measure the length and the width of the building. This memory means a lot to me because it's the first memory I have working with my grandpa. 

My grandpa means alot to me. He teaches me many things like driving a car , a tractor and telling me stories of a time when he was younger on job sites doing stupid things with his buddies.

*not so long ago my grandpa taught me how to drive our tractor. At first when I started to learn I was nervous. I didn't know anything, like I didn't know how to move the bucket up and down , or how to put the back blade down . But the more he taught me the easier it became to drive. I learned how to move dirt and drag trees with the tractor. The more I practiced, the easier it was to get work done around the house and quicker I became to maneuver the tractor around tight trees and rocks.  

I knew my grandpa had a big family as a kid but I always wonder what his life was like.

Grandpa “It was kinda hard because we were poor i had to work to help my family”

Its hard to take care of your big family when you are younger. It has its challenges like not being able to hang out with your friends ,working different jobs and not being able to spend time with your family.

Grandpa “i got a paper route, then i started working in restaurants as a busboy and we worked out in the fields a lot picking prunes, apricot  cherries whatever was is season as a family’’

With working in a lot of different jobs you have to learn tips and tricks about the job and how to make sure the boss is happy.

Grandpa “you had to be responsible for what you do and you had to please the bosses or owners because you had to please them or you did not have a job’’

All the time I spent with my grandpa he taught me how to work with my hands and I wondered how he got to work with his hands. 

Grandpa “ housing , apartments i was a carpenter and i did what they called a layout that's getting the houses ready for framing’’

On a warm afternoon day my grandpa was heading to a dance with a lady and  instead of dancing with the girl he brought he started dancing with the woman that would be known as my grandma.

Grandpa “ i took your grandmas friend to a dance and there is where i met your grandma and i danced with your grandma instead the date i had”

When my papa met my grandma he knew he loved her and wanted her to be his wife. So after a while my grandpa got on one knee and asked her to marry him and she said yes.And I asked him what the wedding was like. 

Grandpa “ a lot of family friends not my friends and not your grandma's friends it was mostly family”

As my grandpa got older he had 3  kids. Having kids comes with a  lot of challenges and responsibilities like  trying to keep track of 3 little kids feeding them and keep them from getting in trouble. 

Grandpa” you had to be very careful of what you said to your kids because they would always take it the wrong way like they  would  think we were to bossy  but we were looking at their interests in life to teach them stuff that's why we were so hard on them”

A parent is proud of their kids for many reasons, their first steps , sports ,  hard work and dedication.  Each of their moments contributes to the unique journey of parenthood that ultimately shapes a strong bond.

Grandpa “ my proudest moment as a parent is when all of my kids graduated from high school’

I can't express how much I love and appreciate my grandpa. His presence in my life is invaluable and his wisdom  and kindness have left an indelible mark on my heart. I am grateful for his unwavering love and support , and I cherish every moment I spend with him. 

Grandpa “respect your elders graduate from high school and play sports”