It's All Relative

Hey all,

I talked to my Dad over the weekend who related this FANTASTIC story to me about my Grandfather. I think you all have been reading this blog long enough to get my dark sense of humor. The kind of things I often find funny isn't what the norm is for most people. This is totally a trait in the family. My brother has the same sense of humor, though to be honest I think I would push a joke farther. We both get this trait from our Dad, who gets it from his. Our Dad always showed how he cared about us through jokes and laughter, and that a lot of times is how I relate how I care about people. If I don't joke or tease a bit, then I am probably not comfortable with you.

Anyway onto the story. My Dad and step-mom Sherry were talking to my grandparents over the weekend. They moved back to Ohio about a year and a half ago to help take care of things with my grandparents. My grandma was really sick and grandpa had really aggressive cancer and the prognosis was grim. (Both have made very strong recoveries and are doing much better, Grandpa is still working 8 to 9 hour days at 80plus years old.) Grandpa made sure to have all his affairs in order so no one else would have to worry about it.

Sherry and my grandma were joking around when my Grandpa asked Sherry if she wanted to see the picture that he was going to put on his tombstone. Sherry said okay and Grandpa got the picture. He made sure to have the tombstone done in advance as part of his preparation, the only thing left to do is put on the final date, but the names and birthdays and messages are engraved already for both grandparents. So he grabs the picture and it's him, standing beside his own tombstone with a big cheesy grin, waving at you! I started rolling laughing when I heard this, Sherry is pretty mortified I imagine, as she doesn't tend to find the darker humor funny like the male side of the family. So Dad and Grandpa are laughing as Grandpa is talking about the plot he bought, under a tree right by the road, so that no one actually has to get out of the car to pay respects, they can just flower the grave like a paperboy. My Dad says that of course they will get out of the car, they already scheduled the picnic there after his death.

My grandpa laughed, and I thought that his ability to laugh in the face of something that most people don't even want to acknowledge is just part of the reason he is such a great person. Now some of you may not have found that funny, just on the sick side. Hey, what do you want me to say? Your reading the blog of a man who wants a cake that says "In your face Christ" when I turn 34. I'll have outlived Jesus by then!!

End of Line.
Gerrad!