Below is a blog I wrote a few months ago, right after my Grandpa died:

My Grandpa died last Friday. It was/is a real blow to everyone in my family. We knew he was ill, getting older, etc., but that didn't make it hurt any less. In the last few days, there's been a lot of the usual crying, hurting, laughing, and doing things like getting out the old pictures and telling stories. Since I love lists so much, I wanted to make a list about some of the things I'm going to miss about my Grandpa.

1. Talking to him on the phone. And trying to get him off the phone (which if you were lucky, would only take you about 15 minutes).
2. Reading his emails, no matter how grammatically incorrect they were, they were still always sweet.
3. Getting a phone call from him on my birthday, which actually was 4 days after he died this year, so this one, I've really missed.
4. His handwriting. It was very distinct.
5. All of his old baseball hats, with their goofy pins.
6. His jokes. Anyone who knows him will know what I mean. His jokes were out of left field, and often were not at all funny. But seeing him laugh always made me laugh.
7. His coffee. My Grandpa taught me how to drink coffee.
8. His stories about his life growing up in Paducah, KY. I didn't hear near enough of them.
9. His orangutan kisses (you'd have to have been there).
10. His pride in his family and self.
11. His ability to be easily pleased and amused.
12. His No Bake cookies with their mystery ingredients.
13. His encouragement. This is the one I'll miss the most. No one in my life, except my Grandpa, has ever told me that all he ever wants is for me to be happy. He told me this every single time I had any kind of conversation with him. Every time.

Getting through this is going to be hard. I'm going home at Christmas and he was supposed to be there. His absence will be felt greatly. It already is. I know I'll be ok, but it's going to take a while before I can think of him without tears welling up.

PS (1-18-08) Christmas was very different without him. I missed him so much. What I wouldn't give just to be with him again.