November 11: A Family Day

November 11, for most of the country, is a time to honor the veterans who have defended our country - many by giving their own lives so that we may continue to enjoy the freedoms we take for granted. For my family it is much more than that. On this day, 18 years ago, my mom's mother passed away. It was the first death I ever experienced, though I was young enough that I remember very little of it.

Today also marks the ninth year since my dad's father passed away. I remember this day vividly. It was two days before the start of my sophomore basketball season. My grandfather was my biggest fan, sitting in the front row at mid-court for every home game. That season was the most difficult season of my life. I visited his grave before every game. I wore a rubberband with his name and the date of his death to every practice. It was very hard to look over at the stands and not see him sitting there.

Pop Pop was one of the most influential people in my life. He was awarded the Purple Heart during World War II. He was a successful entrepreneurr who opened a jewelry store over 50 years ago, after hitchhiking over 200 miles to and from Philadelphia to learn the craft of watch making. He was a man of honor, and a distinguished philanthropist in our community. It was the way he lived his life that influenced me to pursue a career in non-profit work.

As hard as his death was to take, the events that took place in the time leading up to it, and the reaction I saw from the town after it, had an enormous impact on my life.

Pop Pop was sick for weeks, and we were graced with the opportunity to come to grips with his inherrent death. We were not taken by surprise, and we were given the time to really take advantage of what little time we knew we had left with him. The few days before he passed we knew it was coming. My whole family came in to be with him. They flew in from all over the country. All of my aunts and uncles, their kids, and my siblings were able to come together for the first time in years. The night that he passed we all sat around his bed - all 21 of us - and recited prayers. As we took our turns with saying private goodbyes, the rest of us sat in the kitchen and reminisced. It was a sad occasion, but it was beautiful. It was sad because we realized we were losing someone so important to us, but it was also a joyful time because we were all together and ablt to - as a family - recognize what a wonderful person Pop Pop was, and just what he meant to our lives.