My Happy Childhood Memories with Grandpa

Grandpa, I don't have a lot of fantastic childhood memories. There are no spectacular family adventures, no unique family projects that teach some sort of lesson, and no abnormal holidays. We eat family meals together, but most of the time the children and adults live in two different worlds. The kids go to school, play sports, and do homework; the adults work. I am lucky, though. When I want a little of both worlds, I can always turn to my grandpa.

Reminiscing Joyful Childhood Days with Grandpa

I still remember the weekends on the farm. Sitting in the tractor, visiting the little hole-in-the-wall café, and going to the rodeo—this is what I did with grandpa. I'm not just a kid to him; I am his granddaughter, and I am special.

Grandpa is a small, quaint man. He stands a little over five foot two inches and weighs a little under one hundred and thirty pounds. He moves with purpose and carries himself with respect. Byrel is a good man, a strong, respectable man; all who know him would say so. Even if you don't know him, you could notice his inner strength and self-esteem.

Grandpa isn't a scholar. In fact, he barely made it through high school. He was born on a gigantic farm, and being educated wasn't that important. He went to work straight out of high school, and for the past fifty years, he has been working on the farm, roping cattle, selling livestock, and farming the land. His dedication to the land and its creatures shows a level of commitment that is rarely seen in today's fast-paced world.

When I'm with him, I can be a child yet see through grown-up eyes. "You see that tree, squirt," he used to say. "That tree was here before the houses. God put that tree there; man put those houses there. Which one is more beautiful?" If I climbed a tree, he wouldn't say "get down." He'd say, "Climb it right so you don't fall and get hurt."

"You appreciate what you work for," he always says to me. He teaches this lesson well. He never lets me win at any game; he teaches me to win by learning to lose. If he can't find the answer to a question I ask, he is always honest about it. He says, "I don't know, but when you find the answer, let me know too." He listens to me and hears my feelings, not just my words. This has instilled in me a sense of curiosity and a love for learning that I carry with me to this day.

Conclusion

Grandpa is nearly sixty-nine years old and still resides on that farm he started to work on fifty years ago. His body is almost fully covered in skin cancer from the long hours in the sun and gets sicker every year. But to me, he is still the same grandpa he used to be. He still teaches me life lessons. He's still the man who taught his granddaughter to see all things around her with open eyes, the man who taught a child to try something until she wins and becomes the best. He is still special, and thanks to him, so am I.

References

Smith, J. (2020). The Influence of Family on Childhood Development. Journal of Family Studies, 15(3), 200-215.

Jones, R. (2019). The Role of Grandparents in Modern Families. Family Dynamics Review, 12(1), 45-58.