07/19/2023: My Hero
It’s good to be home. I love coming back to my life as I know it, the world that I’ve built for myself after a visit to see family. I had a good visit, but there was something about this one that had a feeling of urgency and finality to it in some ways. My mom and I had a lot of hard conversations and I just really started to think about what the future holds there with my family.
Of course I love seeing everyone, but my favorite thing by far is getting to have one on one time with my favorite man in the world, my true father figure, my grandpa. Seeing everything that he has built for himself is truly a sight to behold. He is one of the few people that I try to impress, whose opinion truly matters to me. I want to be as proud of my legacy as he can be of his. And when the time comes, I will be proud of the legacy he left behind in his stead.
There are so many memories tied to the house, the land that goes on for miles. I don’t even think about monetary value; all I see and feel is my childhood and all the fun and love that was had and shared there. I couldn’t imagine not being able to return to the place that I was practically raised.
A wise man, who has taught me many things over the years, told me that money isn’t everything. This may not have been his mindset years ago when he was supporting a wife, four children and sustaining a farm with three more jobs tacked onto that. But he has more than earned his place and his opinion that it’s not all about cash. There is more quality and value in the land because of the struggles, the triumphs, the love, the hardship, and the memories. It wouldn’t be what it is now, wouldn’t be worth nearly as much, without all these elements.
My grandfather has worked hard his whole life for everything he has, and I will fight tooth and nail to defend that. At the end of the day, I will defend what he wants, I will keep his best interests at heart no matter the cost. I owe him my life for being such a large part of mine. I owe so much to him that I can’t even put into words; I can just feel it, and I know when I feel it.
Sometimes I long for my childhood for the sole purpose of being his partner in crime again, being joined at the hip with him every single day. Now that I’m older and I’m mostly gone, I worry every day and hope that I will be able to be there for him when he really needs me. I know he could still stand to have me around more now. But I also know that he’ll need me around down the road when he can no longer speak for himself, or the empire he has built. I will continue to be the voice and the emotional support.