Grandpa Ron

You were the best grandpa a girl could ask for.

A role model and a hero to many but most importantly to me.

It’s such a shame I lost so many valuable years with you and same with my other two sisters.

Being the youngest I missed out on you teaching me how to drive on the farm.

I missed out on helping you at the farm, the wise words of wisdom you had, came from every word you spoke. I missed out on so many chats and deep conversations, all of your stories that I didn’t get to hear.

To all the Christmas’s and birthdays we missed with all the family.

The 50 cent pieces in the Christmas puddings, the golden pig award which one person would win each Christmas for eating the most food - all those cheers and laughters I missed.

Easter Sunday and no egg hunting, to the birthdays where we were made to feel so special - they no longer existed.

To our cousins getting married and having their kids, those second cousins of ours are just mere strangers.

Missing out on helping you at work or around the garden. I missed 19 years - we missed 19 years. All of this was robbed of me because of a divorce. A divorce between two adults not us three kids..

But grandpa I forgive you, as I know it must’ve hurt you to see us go. I know it wasn’t your choice, you wanted us all there.

You never had a bad word to say about my mother, you loved us so much and I know it hurt you to see us go.

You were kind and humble and never spoke wrong. You had no venom or nasty words, you chose to be humble but were made to keep us away.

I can’t blame you though, for how those so called aunties and uncles acted and held a grudge against us kids for 21 years. Was all their doing.

That’s not how you brought them up, I feel you felt so ashamed that those you taught so much could act so poorly to three children, I feel your disappointment and regret.

All the love I slowly lost, for those that spoke nasty and treated us wrong, but maybe that’s a good thing as it opened more room for the love I hold for you.

It’s okay though grandpa, I can’t think about the what if’s. I can’t dwell on the years we lost without you near.

But I can remember what we had, I remember those good old days.

From driving me to the farm and taking me on the back of the Ute, the freedom and exhilaration with the wind in my hair - holding on for dear life as drove through the fields.

Coming home filthy and made to get in the shower before dinner at the table.

The times, you sat me on your knee with a map in hand pointing to the dam you named after me and each of the 10 other dams - named after each or your grandkids on your farm.

When you would make me your special drinks and give it funny names - cocolade or the musketeers.

The walks down the road to the beach, watching us from afar as we play in the sand and the water.

To the fishing trips in your boat and the big fish we caught, and how you cooked the fish fresh that night.

To your smile, a smile that lit the room up. A smile that told the journeys of your life from the wrinkles embedded in your face.

Your heart, shines like gold in the sunlight, filled with unconditional love to even a stranger on the street.

Your hard work and stamina - an optometrist until 87 years old.

Your wicked sense of humour and the way you barracked for the crows - whenever they got a goal you’d yell the house down GO THE CROWS GO THE CROWS.

What a wonderful man.

There’s no secret there that you were my idol, my hero that I looked up to and loved so dearly.

You taught me so much, you showed me love, kindness, joy, loyalty, respect but most importantly you showed me what a wonderful grandpa is - the best grandpa in the world.

How lucky I was to have known you for how long I did. And just how lucky I am, that I could call you MY grandpa.

So now it’s time to say goodbye, I say goodbye to your body - your skin and bones.

As I cry and mourn your death, I know it’s only the start of your new life in the spirit world. The place you get to hold the love of your life’s hand, your first wife who left too soon.

As I write this I feel you here, I know as the days, months and years go past you’ll be holding my hand, for I am lucky enough to be your near and dear, one of the many you held close to your big golden heart.

And as you hold my hand, I’ll guide you through life in my heart, making you proud of who I become and what I do. Not a day will go past, where I don’t make you proud. But for now it is my time to live my best life just as you had, just like I know I can.

I promise I will do everything in my power to make you PROUD. We represent an entire generation and we will come together.

Forever and always, you’ll never be forgotten, to the best grandpa, my grandpa Ron.