Taking a Moment to Acknowledge the End of an Era...

I don't often blog about "personal" things. I keep this blog limited to mostly neutral subjects like fiction, sports, restaurants, etc. But tonight I wanted to break that habit because I felt the occasion called for it.

Today my maternal grandfather passed away peacefully at the age of 92. He had six children, 15 grandchildren, and 12 great-grand children. He was married for 72 years to my grandmother and during most of that time they kept one of the warmest, busiest, most open and comforting households I've ever known and am likely to ever know. He was a doctor in a small city in West Virginia and at one point must have known almost everyone in the town. You certainly could not mention his name (which I've omitted here for privacy reasons) to anyone in the town without eliciting some positive reaction or at least recognition from 99 out of 100 people you asked. He was a pillar of his community and a rock of strength and wisdom to his family. Any words I could say here about his achievements, his professional career, his travels, his relationships with his family and friends, would not do him justice, and I'm not ready to tackle that subject properly. I just want to linger on this moment as, personally, it is a great loss as well as the end of an era.

I've been an "adult" for some time now. But it is an unusual feeling -- first time I've ever felt it -- to not have any more living grandparents. For some people, this happens very, very young. But for me, my grandparents were young, vital people in their early- to mid- 60s when I was a kid. I got to know them all very well and -- truly -- I got to have the best of them. To me they seemed old when I was a kid, but seeing it clearly now, I realize they were quite young. My hypothetical children will not be as lucky.

With the passing of my grandfather today goes a whole era for my family. It is important to stop and note the significance of these things when they happen. Not only to honor someone who has passed away but also to note the broader significance and what it means for you as a person. This is where, I think, writers and artists come in handy, in my opinion: seeing the broader picture.

It's late. I have much more to say but I probably won't be able to now and anything I would say would not come out properly. I just wanted to mark this occasion somehow. If you've read this far, Thank You.