Picture a grumpy older man who still loved his family very much.
That was the perfect way of describing my grandfather.
He grew up at a different time and always had a tough time expressing emotions. Still, we all loved him and made sure to tell him so whenever we talked. Last year, my grandmother passed away after a short illness. We grew worried after the funeral about grandpa’s living situation. He was now all alone, living up north in the countryside, isolated from the world. My parents tried to broach the topic of him moving in with us in Denver, where the weather was better. He was too attached to the home where he and my late grandma had lived for more than 50 years. We let the issue go until later that year when I went up north to visit him. I found out that his AC unit was causing him lots of problems. The AC mechanics would not come to the area to fix it since it was quite a distance. While talking more about what to do, I decided to bring the idea of moving again. At first, he protested, but later, he admitted he was struggling. Living alone so far away from everyone he loved was not easy for him. For the first time, I saw the most formidable man I’d ever known break down. But I knew it was only because I was the one talking to him about this issue. My parents had insisted it’s because I looked like her. We made plans to sell the house and planned the move. Mom and dad were so happy to hear this news.