Flashback Friday #3

As the holidays approach, I am reminded of years gone by. Thanksgiving was always something I looked forward to... the LONG (2 hr) drive to Grammie and Grandpop's cabin to visit with my mom's side of the family. Us kids would run around and play... drive the adults (mainly my grandpop) bonkers until it was time to sit and eat. The wood stove was always a million degrees, which made us zonk out not long after the meal... Man, I remember always feeling so suffocated in that heat!!! As we got a bit older... we would play cards and games a lot, sometimes even with the women... and my grandpop also aquired a slot machine at one point... it was a nickel slot machine, old fashioned and oh-so-cool! We were limited on the amount of time we could play on it (and had to follow his "house rules"-LOL!). Back then I just couldn't understand what the big deal was... but now I realize that we were pretty young (and there were cousins younger than myself as well)... and we probably would've beaten the thing to a pulp had we been given free reign. Needless to say... it was a TREAT to play that slot machine! I'm not sure what ever happened to it. Wish I would've gotten it after my grandpop passed away... that would've been neat! Come to think of it (kind of off the subject)... I don't really know what I DO have of his. I know I have an old, ugly sweater that was his... but I don't think I got that as a keep-sake... I think it was passed down to my dad who NEVER wears sweaters, and the sentimental fool that I am, couldn't bear to see it go to Goodwill. Other than that... I have an old fashioned picture of Grammie and Grandpop--that really WASN'T old fashioned... it was just one of those novelty pics you get at the Boardwalk or wherever. I have an old spoon and recipe card that was his mother's... which I would like to put in a shadow box one of these days before it gets ruined! Hmmm... I really don't think I have anything of his other than that... which all of a sudden makes me teary-eyed. We were never close... at all. He always seemed to be kind of stern and harsh... the kind of guy who you couldn't eat potato chips around for fear of crunching too loudly... or heaven-forbid you would scrape your fork against your teeth as you were eating something and pulling the fork out of your mouth! But when I look back, as I'm now an adult... I really don't see those things as all that ridiculous--maybe because they've rubbed off on me and become my pet peeves as well! :) I regret not having been able to know him better. He died from cancer when I was almost 19... my mom had her hand over his heart when it stopped beating. I often wonder what he would think of all of us now.... grown up... married... some with kids... some gone off to college... some never finishing college! The political arena these days would probably horrify him--but I find myself wondering what he would say about it all? Wondering if he would be more affectionate toward his great grand-babies than he was toward any of us grand-kids? I wonder if he would be proud of us... each in our own ways? The last day I ever saw him... he was in a home (before they brought him to his own home to live his final days). I was such an idiot teenager. Sure, you think you're all that, grown up at 18... but looking back--I see what a kid I was... and what an opportunity I missed... just even to tell him that I loved him. I know we shouldn't live with regrets... but that's a hard one to just let go....
So for today's Flashback Friday... I am sharing with you a picture of my grandpop and me. Unfortunately, it's one of the only ones we have together... but I guess that just makes it all the more special!As you gather with friends and family this Thanksgiving and Christmas season... please don't forget to tell them that you love them. You don't know when you will have the chance to again in this life... I only pray that someday I will have the chance to make it right in Heaven.

For more Flashback Friday--visit Tia's Blog!