Saddest Word

Without a doubt, the saddest word in the English language is good-bye. My grandfather, Bobby Robinson, past away this past week and it has been so hard to say good-bye to him. He's been fighting cancer for the past year. It's been getting worse over the past few months, but no one would have known it because he wasn't a complainer. He was a fighter. He was so strong during his entire battle with that terrible disease. He smiled even when he was in terrible pain. He didn't feel sorry for himself. He was the perfect example of how a Christian should act in the face of adversity.
On Monday, Memorial Day, I spent the afternoon with Papa. My family gathered to celebrate my brother's upcoming graduation (from high school). I sat by Papa the whole time. His belly was extremely swollen from fluid (from the cancer). Just 4 days earlier he had the fluid removed (4 liters) and he had already filled up again, but worse by Monday. He sat outside under the trees and enjoyed the beautiful weather, cool breeze and great company of our family. He never complained, not one time. My grandmother asked him several times if he was ready to go home and he said no...he wanted to stay. I could tell that he was happy. Even though he had a big belly from the fluid, he actually looked better to me on Monday than he had in a long while.
The next morning, Papa & Grandma woke up & got ready. She asked him what he wanted for breakfast, he put in his order and she started preparing breakfast. When she was done, she called him and he didn't answer, she walked over to his recliner, and there he sat, just as peacefully as he could be, he was gone.
I can't even begin to thank God enough for allowing Papa to just pass away peacefully. That is exactly what he would have wanted and I'm so thankful it happened like that.
My heart hurts because I know I'll never walk into their house and see his smiling face there to greet me. I'm going to miss his soft hands when he'd hold my hand when he'd see me. I'm really going to miss his mischievous grin and that sweet laugh he had. From this point on, there will always be a hole in my heart, that will never been filled. I miss him so much it hurts.
BUT, the good news is that my Papa was a wonderful Christian man who loved God and lived a Christian life. There are two commandments that God gives us, 1) Love God first and foremost. 2) Love your neighbor. My Papa lived by those commandments all the days of his life. I know where my Papa is now, he's at a place where he's not hurting from cancer, he's at peace, he's happy....and for that, I have peace knowing that one day we will be reunited.

I will forever be thankful that God chose me to be Bobby Robinson's grand-daughter. I knew him for 33 years. What a blessing he's been to my life. I hope I can continue to live my life in a way that would make him proud. Papa was one-of-a-kind. I don't think he ever knew how many lives he touched, it was a lot!!!