Chapter Eleven; Going To Visit The Grandparents

Dear Reader,

Grandparents are such wonderful things, of which I don’t truly believe we appreciate until they aren’t sitting in their chair by the fire anymore.

I loved my grandparents, as we all do, as a child. They were the people that gave big snuggly cuddles, spent lots of money on you and fed you until you were about to pop. Those are the things you loved and those are the things you remember. But the things I believe we truly miss when they’re gone are the bits you don’t really remember.

One of my grandfathers was in the Navy and he used to tell these really long winded, possibly slightly embroidered stories. It was very Uncle Albert-esque and at the time, I wasn’t particularly bothered, I would listen and be polite but I can’t remember any of them now. I laugh and make jokes about how long and silly his stories were but in my heart I miss them with a deep sadness. I wish he were here to tell his tales to me now that I can appreciate and understand them, so I can write them down and tell people how wonderful my grandfather really was.

I know that you can speak to other family members and they can tell you pieces of stories about your grandparents but if we’re being quite honest, it’s not the same is it?

I lost all my grandparents before I was 21, one I didn’t know at all. And I feel as though I have missed out on a wonderful chunk of growing up, learning and loving your grandparents with a different kind of love than when you were a child. Being a friend as well as a grandchild, being able to hold proper conversations with them like an adult. I think that is something taken wildly for granted. 

I often find myself wishing I could ask them questions, from cooking tips to stories about the war. Did you lose any of your friends? How did you and grandma meet? What’s the best way to cook roast potatoes so they’re crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle? How do you make gravy without using granules?

It’s the simple stuff.

I only have one parent left and I really hope that my children get to know my Daddy. I hope they are able to learn as much as they can from him and who he is as a person. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that losing family is one of the hardest things, dear reader, and I hope you’re all old, happy and have sucked as many stories from them as possible before you ever lose anyone you love.

If anyone does know the best way to make gravy without granules, please do let me know. It’s often much nicer to learn these things from a human, rather than Google.

I’m off to watch a bit of Only Fools And Horses…

S.P.