One Happy Heart

A riddle for you.  What do you get when you cross a one legged man whose hands are twisted and painful leaving it nearly impossible for him to do anything with three little people who love him for who he is and not only call him Grandpa, but friend?  

You guessed it.  One happy heart!  It isn't often that I see my dad laughing the way he is in this first image.  It probably helped that he wasn't aware of the fact that I took his picture, but he was actually laughing at my kids playing jump rope and at Doop specifically.  Most of the time he is so worried about being a burden and embarrassed by his physical appearance that he misses out on doing many things, but guess what?  My kids don't care that he is missing a leg, or that he has a hard time doing some things.  They love him because he spends time with them.  They love him because he teaches them things, and most of all they love him because he loves them back.  He is so different now in so many ways from the time when I was a little girl, but there are a few things that remain the same.  He is still very funny.  I can always tell when Doop has spent the day with him because he picks up on the things Grandpa says and repeats them (not always a great thing, but nevertheless funny!).  He is still very supportive.  As hard as it is for him to get out he attends as many of the kids' events as possible to cheer them on just like he did for me.  He encourages them to keep trying until they accomplish the task.  I can't tell you how many times he pushed me to do things that I didn't think possible and I am grateful for that.  Last but not least he is still tough.  Having his body change so dramatically in such a short time has been an overwhelming trial for him and he has faced it with courage and determination.  He would love to be able to teach Doop how to use all of the tools that he is so fascinated with, and he would love to play soccer with Seej.  He would also love to go on a horse ride with Lou, but those days have past for him.  As hard as this part is for him they don't care as long as he is there.  You see this is the only way they have known him and they love him for the things he does with them no matter how small they seem, and beyond that they love him for who he is.  Strong, determined, courageous and humble.  They are so proud of their Grandpa!

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