Papa

This past week has been a tough one. My grandfather, “Papa” passed away Tuesday, November 2. He had prostate cancer that spread throughout his body, and the Lord took him home to be with Him. Now he is without pain and in a much better place. I’m so happy I got the opportunity to spend some time with him right before he took a turn for the worse. Catherine (my sister), Maggie (my cousin), and I drove to Aliceville, AL a couple of weeks ago to visit my grandparents. Papa was very emotional that day, but he assured us that they were tears of joy. He said that “Gentry tears” (Gentry is his last name) are always joyful tears. He was so overjoyed thinking about the love and pride he had for his family, and all of that joy was expressed through his tears.

That’s all I could think about when I shed my tears over the past several days. They are truly tears of joy because I know that Papa is with sweet Jesus now. It makes me think of a Father’s Day sermon I heard several years ago. The pastor said that the best gift that a father can give their child is the knowledge that when he leaves this earth, he will be in a better place with Jesus. Papa definitely gave that gift to his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He had a true relationship with Jesus and lived a life that was evident of that. We have a peace now because we know where Papa is.

There are so many memories that I have of Papa; far too many to put into written words. I have come up with my favorite top 10 memories:

10. When I was a child, Papa would grill steaks every Sunday night for a huge family dinner. He also smoked the turkeys every Thanksgiving. During those days he would wear the smell of smoked meat on his clothes and hair and give us a “smoky” hug and kiss.

9. Papa had the greenest thumb that I have ever seen. He could grow any vegetable and/or flower you could think of. During summer months, he would always send me home with bags full of fresh vegetables.

8. Papa absolutely adored his bride. Papa and Sugar (we call my grandmother, “Sugar”) had the kind of marriage that everyone dreams of. Papa loved her with everything he had. Sugar told me that she never doubted his love for her. She called him “Honey” because he was so sweet to her.

7. Papa loved to tell people about Jesus. Missions were dear to his heart, and he wanted everyone to know his Savior.

6. Papa loved chocolate. There was a cabinet designated for chocolate, and I would always visit that cabinet before I left. His favorite was the chocolate Andes mints. He taught me how to make a goblet/wine glass out of the green foil wrapper.

5. Papa and Sugar took my brother, sister, and me to British Columbia, Canada for an Elder Hostel. Papa went camping, kayaking, and watched us enjoy our first rock climbing adventure. Instead of sleeping in on Sunday like my family typically did when on vacation, Papa found a nearby church for us to visit.

4. Papa loved classical music and singing in the choir. The classical song that most reminds me of him is a song from Peter and the Wolf. He knew every instrument as it was playing, and he would try to teach them to us. He also loved singing in the church choir. He would always make us smile as he sang in the choir with his mouth in the shape of an “O.”

3. Whenever any of the grandchildren spent the night with my grandparents, Papa would wake us up with a “good morning” song and some juice on a tray. “Good morning to you; good morning to you…..”

2. When I was in pharmacy school, I drove to Aliceville to shadow my uncle in his pharmacy. I spent the night with my grandparents and got up early the next morning to work. I was used to grabbing a granola bar and eating it on the way to work, so that’s what I expected to do that morning at my grandparents. I should have known better! My grandfather had juice and toast waiting for my grandmother and me, and we ate breakfast out on the deck. After breakfast, I witnessed a typical morning at my grandparent’s house. We went back into their bedroom so my grandmother could get back in her bed (she can’t stay up for long periods of time due to MS). My grandfather read a chapter of the Bible. I think they were going through the book of Genesis at that time, but I’m not completely sure. After he read a chapter, Sugar prayed. Every single child and grandchild (and several leaders in their church) had a detailed prayer every single morning.

1.Christmas Eve has always been my favorite day of the year. My whole family gathers at my grandparent’s house, and it’s such a special time. My grandparents have 6 children, 18 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Needless to say, we have a house full of family. Before we exchanged gifts, Papa read the Christmas Story (Luke chapter 2) aloud to the family. That’s a family tradition that I would like to carry on to my children. The reason we give gifts is because we received the ultimate gift of salvation from our Lord.

Papa, we will miss you here on earth. Thank you for all that you have taught us.