Gramps

This is probably overdue... But I still wanted to do this.
A little over two weeks ago, my Grandpa passed away.
Brinkley and I flew out to Utah to attend his funeral. Though I would have preferred to not be at his funeral, I do have to say that it turned out beautiful. Everything was perfect.
I thought it was a great tribute to the great life that he lived.

For the month of December, I was asked to write a message for our Relief Society Newsletter. Since my Gramps has been on my mind so much, I wanted to base it around him. Here is what I wrote:

As some of you may know, my Grandpa recently passed away. I was very close to him because not only was he my 'Gramps' but because he was also my next door neighbor for most of my years growing up. He was always working on some sort of project, whether it was making welcome signs for his family and neighbors, working in his beautiful garden or carving pumpkins for Halloween. He was a collector of 'treasures' such as coins, wagon wheels, golf carts and sheep (among hundreds of other things). He usually had a supply of ice cream and cinnamon bears on hand for the grandkids, and he always had a twinkle in his eye. However, if I could sum up his life in three words, it would be hardworking, integrity and service. I want to focus on that last quality - service.
I have always been a little wary of the topic service, mostly because I have never been very good at doing it. I know I should be providing service to others, I just don't know where to begin. However, as I sat through my Gramps funeral, I was in awe at the life of service that he lived. So many people had stories of a time when my Grandpa did this or that for them. It's not necessarily that he went out looking for service projects to do - it was just part of who he was.
One story in particular that stood out to me, a story I had never heard before, came from our old Bishop.
Now, my Grandpa has not gone to church for as long as I have been alive, but he always made sure that his kids went to church so that their kids would go to church. He fully supported the church and wanted to help as much as he could in his own way. One Christmas season, he knocked on our Bishop's door, handed him some money and asked that it go to a family from our ward that was in need. The Bishop immediately knew a family that desperately needed it and asked my Grandpa to come with him to deliver it. Gramps wanted it to be anonymous, but the Bishop insisted. So, they headed over to the family's house and handed over the money. The family was so grateful and the Bishop pointed out that my Grandpa's face lit up with excitement. He has since given money every year to the Bishop of the ward to help a family in need.
Most of us are not able to give money away, as we are struggling financially ourselves. However, I'm sure as we pray and ponder about other ways we can give service, opportunities will open for us. Whether we take someone a loaf of bread, shovel the snow off their sidewalk, de-ice their car, babysit their kids, drive them somewhere because they don't have a car, or simply give a visit to someone who has been on your mind. There are so many ways to serve. My Gramps not only gave money, he gave of his time, talents, and simply of himself. May we too give of ourselves.
Particularly as Christmas is approaching, and we have constant reminders of our Savior may we remember that "inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt 25:40)

I learned so much from the life of my Grandpa. If there is anything I can pass onto others from what I have pondered about since his passing it is this: Cherish your relationships with those you love. Let them know you love them, enjoy them, serve them.

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas holiday.