Of Service

Things I'm glad I was able to do for my grandpa:

I came to Ontario without really knowing if I'd get regular work, but wanting just to be able to work at Knollcrest where he lived. I wanted to come back for one more summer and help him feel more comfortable.

I sat with him at meals and helped him to eat when he could no longer feed himself

Mum and I (and later Aunt Mary) sat with him every single evening for dinner (on my days off from work) and we usually stayed for 3 or 4 hours to keep him company

I was able to advocate for him when I worried about the quality of the nursing care he was receiving. I also helped mom and Mary to advocate for when I wasn't around. And in many ways, we were successful. I'm glad I could do that for him.

When he died, we rushed to the care home. Mom and Mary waited outside the room, but I wanted to be able to help the other care aides clean him and fluff his pillow and tuck him into bed just right.

I decided then, on the Sunday night, to knit him the socks. I'm exhausted from several late knitting nights (followed by stressful days), but I'm so happy that I was able to give them to him.

At the funeral, I did a reading for him. It was a good one, though it was asked of me rather spontaneously, so I can't remember the verses. Will post later.

I was a Pallbearer. Unfortunately, when you live to 102, there aren't many young people/friends around. So I offered to help. I helped carry his casket into the church, and again out and into the Herse, and then to his final resting place. When he was little, he would carry me. Now it would be my turn to carry him. It was only natural to help especially considering how few able bodied men were in attendance.

He was a good man, and he did a lot for so many people. I wanted to make sure that someone gave something back, and I did it in the ways that I knew I could.