Rachel A Meise
Word Count: 296
On September 11th, 2012,
I received the call that my grandfather had lost his fight with leukemia. The
rest of the day I felt numb. The viewing was a few days later, and as I entered
the funeral home, I noticed that my closest relatives were huddled together, my
grandfather’s casket sitting open against the wall. When we started sharing our
favorite memories of “Captain Dave”, I developed the courage to pay my
respects. He was dressed in his favorite outfit, flannel shirt and pressed
jeans, a satisfied smile on his face, a look that brought back one of my
strongest memories of him.
“Pull
the sails in! No, tighter! That’s it.” He gestured at me, sailing brew in hand,
his Marine cap firmly set on his head. We were out on a sailing lesson, and at
twelve I respected and feared him, scrambling to follow his instructions. A
storm was rolling in, and I hesitantly asked if we should stick to the bay
until it passed. “Nonsense!” he laughed, “Haven’t you learned anything? This is
perfect weather. The rockier the waves, the better sailing.”
My grandfather seemed to follow
this attitude his entire life, joining the Marines at 17 to serve in WWII and
giving up an advertising career to follow his calling in the Lutheran seminary.
He was practical, but he believed in possibilities, pushing his children to
follow their dreams. He took chances, and they paid off, providing him with
experience and wisdom that he shared with everyone he met.
He taught me a lot, and encouraged me to believe in my
heart. Standing at his casket that day, looking at his grin and stern brow, I
knew that I would miss him, but his life lessons would live on with me forever.
My grandfather touched my life, and
the lives of others with his beliefs in life’s lessons and the benefits of
taking chances.
