This was the last picture we took together...

...but this (^) wasn't the Grandpa I know.

The Grandpa I knew was alert, quick-witted, and full of smiles. He was mischievous, relentless, and unwilling to accept limitations (even those set by medical professionals or societal expectations of what a man of his age "should" and "should not" be doing).  He was full of life, talent, patience, and love.

I remember the little things.

The way he smelled and combed his hair.

His wonky fingernail - the result of some accidental injury, and further evidence that this grandfather of mine refused to be deterred from the hard work he loved and excelled in.

The spectrum of eye glasses frames he donned throughout the years.

His child-like grin, and how his top lip curled under to reveal his teeth. Even with the addition of wrinkles and age spots, each time that man smiled, the inner-boy in him came through.

I remember the big things, too.

His gentleness.

His fierce dedication to his family.

The way he loved his daughters so unconditionally.

His tenderness towards his wife.

And I celebrate the fact that my Grandpa is no longer confined to the body in this photo, but now has the freedom to eternally live the life he was destined to from the beginning - the one we caught sweet glimpses of here on earth, and the one we look forward to joining him in when we get to Heaven.