The Patience of PawPaw

     Every summer, as we were growing up, we got to take turns spending weeks with my grandparents. Coming from a large family, this was our opportunity for individual attention.

     I spent most of my time with my pawpaw because Grandma was still working part time. Pawpaw and I would take long walks around the neighborhood. He was a quiet man, so I used this opportunity to chatter away aimlessly about things that were of no interest to Pawpaw, yet he never complained. He never told me as we do our youngest son, "You've used your allotted words for the day." Although I'm certain there were times he must have pushed the mental ignore button. Nonetheless, he acted as if he were genuinely listening to my wild stories, told with excessive adjectives and exaggerated emphasis. I remember how he would chuckle at the right parts and smile his oh-so-handsome smile. Sometimes at dinner, he would have me repeat one of the stories for Grandma who failed to see the humor in them and was certain to chastise me for telling such foolish, dishonest stories. Pawpaw would look at me and sneak a wink and a half smile which I understood to mean that he appreciated my creative imagination, and I could resume my storytelling once Grandma went to work again, and that, I was certain to do.Pawpaw had this remarkable way of making me feel like I was the most special girl in the world, his "Ronica," whose stories entertained him.

      So, as I think about the things and people in my life that I'm most grateful for, I can't help but think about my Pawpaw and how his role in my life built my confidence and helped me discover the storyteller in me... How thankful I am for the gift of a loving and tender Pawpaw.

     For those of you that remember the old Oscar Mayer Bologna jingle, as a child, I changed the words to that song and sang it to my Pawpaw every time I got to see him, and today, I'm remembering that song,"My pawpaw has a first name, it's G - R - A - N - D. My pawpaw has a second name, it's P - A - W. I like to see him every day, and if you ask me why, I'll say cause my pawpaw has a way with V-E-R-O-N-I-C and A."

 He did.

And for that, I am thankful!