Have You Ever Seen The Rain

for Memorial Day.

my thoughts go to my grandfather. he was known by me as grampy.

he was the first vet i ever met. served as a civil engineer for 23 years, 2 wars, 9 children, and 4 houses before retiring in disgust during vietnam.

before passing to whatever things gave him cancer during war, lived the rest of his days as a peacekeeper + joymaker + carpenter + groundskeeper for the local university.

his heart and humor stayed intact.

took my first steps to him and lost him before i could really speak. i remember his bruised hands and the sad kindness in his voice the last time we saw each other.

but we still have conversations sometimes cause i know how to listen for him and how to talk back now >:]

and no, grampy, i never got a tattoo. you’re certainly welcome.. know you thought your’s was dumb but i swear the upsidedown cross shoulderblade tat in high school would’ve been siiick.

he called me a ding dong. which is, fair.

my father (+ his inspired generation) always wanted to be a writer. so for xmas’s and bday’s, i’d ask him to write or make powerpoint slides about grampy so i can understand them better. (recommend that)

Creedence Clearwater Revival / The Golliwogs / The Blue Velvets, Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin will always be attached to that side of my fam.

~~~

song came back into my life in a funny way.

i was at a shots + sombrero restaurant in Mexico that had mariachi who’d take requests while you suffered through drank. i picked the only mellow song i recognized and once the bottle hit the table again, i realized i could hear him too and i started tearing up while they were still playing at me. con sombrero, lágrimas, y tequila hahajaja.

he was always a goof and loved showing up in unexpected ways and getting into hijinks.

love that memory.

~~~

i’ll be watching my personal favorite Hayao Miyazaki movie, The Wind Rises, and sharing time with our vets.

consider calling or walking with your odd vet relative this year ~ on any day really.

they feel times a little differently than you and probably want to hear your caring voice again ~ whether they know it, remember it, or not. just a lil reminder that you’re safe and they’re accepted by the people around them.

but if they bring up some bullshit again, you can totes hang up and try later :)