Just BE Plus Three: Three New Angels

In the last five weeks, Brian and I have had three of our Grandparents pass away. On Thursday, September 24th, my Granddaddy (my Mom's Dad) passed away. He lived in Florida and had been battling cancer voraciously until he could fight no longer.

On Friday, October 23rd, Brian's Grandpa (his Dad's Dad) passed away. He had his fair share of ups and downs over the last year but it was surprising how quickly he passed with his last battle. I don't think anyone expected that time to be it.

Then, on Tuesday, November 3rd, my Dad called to let me know that my Grandma (my Dad's mom) had passed. She had been battling Alzheimer's and put up a tremendous fight. But, ultimately, that horrible disease won. She was 95.

I debated on what to title this post because of all the sadness. These three lives touched more lives than I know and I am grateful for the time that I had with them.

My Granddaddy lived in Florida for as long as I can remember. At some point he was in Maryland for a while, but in my living/remembering years he was in Florida. My family and I would typically caravan down to his place in Florida and spend time with him and his family at his house. I distinctly remember multiple trips where my cousins, Jamie and Brooke, and my Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Ricky made the trek down with my Mom, my Stepdad, Scott, my Brother, Travis, and my Sister, Amy. (James had not been born yet! I'm not leaving him out!) Sometimes we made a stop in Orlando and spent some time at Disney. Other times, we simply visited him at his house. He had a one level house with a screened in pool. My cousins and siblings and I jumped in the pool for hours and hours on end! We could not get enough of that pool! And the fact that he had a pool to us Marylanders was AMAZING! (We didn't realize that when you live in Florida, having a pool is like having a bathroom in your house. Essential.) We made so many memories together in Florida.

My cousin, Jamie, and I are three years apart. We had always been close growing up and we always stuck together on these types of trips. We have so many memories together! There was that time when I wasn't supposed to get my ear wet because I had an ear infection and Jamie and I were playing by the pool, tempting fate trying to capture the floating pool ball. Long story short, I fell in...and may or may not have gotten that ear wet.

There was that other time where my Uncle Tommy and I and Jamie and Travis were on the dock in the back of my Granddaddy's house. He lived right on a canal and it was not uncommon to see an alligator in that canal. My Uncle Tommy told us that the alligator lived under the dock and if you leaned all the way over you could see him. I promptly fell for the trap and leaned a tad too far and...fell in. (I'm starting to see a common theme here...) He got in trouble for that and I swore I was going to get eaten by an alligator who, by the way, I found out did not live under that dock.

Then there was that time that Jamie and I met Trace. He was one of my Uncle Tommy's friends and, boy, was he a sight for sore eyes! Jamie and I both had crushes on him. He was way older than us being a high school kid an all, but he was handsome as all get out and that didn't stop us girls from talking about him!

And, like I mentioned, the hours and hours of pool play. We jumped in, we swam, we dove off the diving board, we relaxed by the side, we lounged. Jamie and I even slept outside by the pool on the chaise lounge chairs one trip when room space was limited. I swore the alligator was going to figure out a way into that screened in porch and eat me then too.

And my Granddaddy, well, if ever there was a joke to be heard, he was the one to tell it. He was always joking around. His jokes were ~~sometimes~~ a lot of times below the belt and/or inappropriate, but that was who he was. And I never really talked politics with him. He had a very strong opinion about politics and I knew I wouldn't even stand a chance in that arena. But he loved all of us, his Kids and his Grandkids, dearly. We even had a chance to introduce him to Kate in the Summer of 2014 when we went to visit while we were in Florida.

I'll miss his little cards sent up around Christmas for all of his Grandkids with a little bit of Christmas cash. I'll miss the poolside and the house to visit. I'll miss the stories and the jokes. I'll miss him. But I am grateful for the memories and those I will cherish.

Rest in peace, Granddaddy. ❤

I didn't know Brian's Grandpa very well, only for the fact that I didn't have as much time with him as others. I met him in 2009 when I moved to Ohio and was introduced to Brian's family. I know that he held a special place in a lot of people's hearts and in the short time that I did get to know him, he really was a wonderful man. The last several times we were together he was very grateful for the time that he had with his family. He was a man of few words, at least from what I knew of him he was, but when he did speak, he spoke with authority and thoughtfulness. I distinctly remember celebrating his last birthday with him this past June. I asked him how old he was turning that day. His prompt reply was, "One day older than I was yesterday." Which had us all laughing! That was him - to the point, no extra fluff, just straight forward, and full of love. Even though I didn't get to know him very well, I knew he was full of love. You could see it in his eyes when he said hello or goodbye or when you spoke to him. You knew he cared about you regardless. I know he meant a lot to Brian and I will cherish the time that I had with him as well.

One day older than he was the day before.

Rest in peace, Grandpa Hendricks. ❤

The last of Heaven's three new angels is my Grandma Lauchman - Pauline Wagoner Lauchman - my Dad's Mom. She went by Polly and lived in North Carolina. My Grandma was incredible. She learned to type and held several respected and reputable jobs when women were not typically in the working world. She was the most amazing cook. She could whip up anything and it was always delicious. She was so kind and loving. She had the biggest garden in her backyard. I remember chasing butterflies back there with my brother and capturing them between two laundry baskets, one flipped on top of the other creating a semi-enclosed space for them. The flowers were beautiful and that garden grew and grew. She had a vegetable and fruit garden as well that prospered.

My brother and I would visit her in the summer and sometimes around Christmas and we always had a blast. My Dad told me that my Grandma had always wanted to have a little girl. I've been told that she loved the name Penelope so I imagine she may have named her little girl that if she had one. But she had two boys - Richard (my Uncle) and Paul (my Dad). Apparently, when my Mom and I came along, she was in heaven having us girls around! She sewed so many dresses for me a lot of which I still have. She was an incredible seamstress. And piano player too. Everything she did was so amazing, at least through her Granddaughter's eyes it was.

Back in 2000 or so, she was diagnosed with dementia and later Alzheimer's. She fought long and hard against that horrible disease, over 15 years, but it ultimately took her life. It was hard seeing her slowly wither - slowly forgetting who I was, who she was, where she was. I have so many good memories with her and in North Carolina that I get that automatic happy feeling whenever someone mentions North Carolina. And, quite frankly, when I went down to her funeral yesterday North Carolina felt like home. It was strange because I wasn't there very much. When we would visit, it was only a couple weeks at a time, but it still felt like home.

Ironically enough, the hotel room that Maya and I stayed in smelled just like my Grandma's house did. It made me feel like she was there and perhaps my Granddad was too, who passed when I was about 15. It was oddly comforting. I've missed her immensely over these last 15 years, but I miss her even more now that she's really gone.

She and the memories I have of her will always hold a special place in my heart. It warms my heart knowing that she is no longer suffering. My Grandma would love my girls. LOVE THEM. When I was pregnant with Kate, we stopped by to see her on our way back from the beach, but a huge part of me believes she has now met them from above and is smiling from ear to ear, beaming with pride over her two Great Grandgirls. Kate and Maya would adore her, just as I did, and just as she would them.