Veterans Day

This is the time of year where I always think about my grandfather.  He was a veteran of WWII, signing up for the Navy after Pearl Harbor, he and my grandmother got married before he left for the war.  He was the captain of a sub-chaser.  He used to tell people that Kansans made the best sailors because they were used to seeing nothing but horizon all day long. He loved the water and he loved Kansas.  I can still see him in my mind showing me how to drive that old pontoon boat on the lake pointing to the trees I was supposed to be headed toward.  His 94th birthday would have been tomorrow.  He passed away a little over 5 years ago.  Here he is reading to AJ and I when we were younger:

Anyone who knew him knew that he dedicated his life to serving others.  He was the president of the family company I work for now and cared very deeply about public service and taking care of his employees.  I still hear stories from the company that humble me and show me just how wonderful of a man he was.

But I think more than anything I remember how much he loved my grandmother and how much he loved all of us grandkids.  He and my grandmother were married for more than 65 years and they loved and cared for each other until the day he died.  I hope everyone gets to experience a love like that.

I am grateful for all of the veterans out there on this Veteran’s Day, but I especially think about Bimbam and how much I love and miss him.