Grandpa Blackner

My Grandpa Blackner passed away a few weeks ago. Times like these definitely put everything into perspective and makes you incredibly reflective and grateful. I'm so grateful to have been living in Washington these past few months so that we could spend quite a bit of time with him before he passed. I'm also glad my whole family was able to be there. If we were still residents, I think I would have been the only one to make the flight. I'm grateful to have spent some alone time with him before he died especially the Saturday before when he was messing around with my boys and checking his blood sugar. I'm grateful for all of the people who provided food, babysitting, and flowers for the funeral. We have an incredibly large extended family and I could not believe the outpouring of love and support. It definitely makes me want to do the same for others. I'm grateful for all of the family who flew in from all over the country. My Grandpa died at age 75, which is relatively young for these days, but was in poor health. His funeral was sad, but also a huge reunion for everyone. All of my brothers and their wives were here and it was so much fun playing soccer, home run derby, and pickleball the Saturday before the funeral. It was nice to see cousins and aunts and uncles. I don't think we have all been together for years. I'm grateful for a belief in Jesus Christ and a knowledge of the afterlife. It is not so hopeless to have someone die when you know that you will see him again. And finally, I am grateful for my Grandpa Blackner who was always joking around and could always make me smile. He was a wonderful grandpa and he lived a great life. He was married to my Grandma for over fifty years and was a wonderful teacher. I will miss him.