Title TBD

I write tonight's entry with the heaviest of hearts. It is 8:30, the same time that I typically sit down with a cup of hot tea and reflect upon the day and share with the WWW and the followers of the Paynter Family blog about the days adventures. But tonight, even though I am within the walls of our home where I need to be while the boys are asleep, I can't help but wish that I was with my father as he is beside my grandfather at the hospital.

It's a lesson we all know, but rarely any of us ever live by. Never take any day or any one for granted, because we never know when our last day is going to be. What a rollercoaster of emotions today has been for me. Waking up ready to take on the world. All right, maybe not the world, but definitely my 100 mile radius that my travels were going to take me on. Catching up with my cousin on the phone making plans for the weekend, laughing to the early morning talk show hosts, running into an fellow rep I haven't seen in a long time, and then having great interactions with customers. The day was rockin and so was I. Plans were in place for the girls and I to get together tonight and the boys were excited about having dinner with Ahma and Granddaddy. I got out of my lunch appointment and mom had called. When I called her back, it wasn't for another question about logistics for tonight, it was granddad. We were called in.

It doesn't matter whether you have had one minute or in this case, eighty one days to prepare to say goodbye to someone. You are never prepared. Or should I say, I was not prepared. I was not prepared to go from strong to instantly weak to laughing with tears streaming down my face to angry and then hopeful all within the first five minutes. Two hours later, no change. Dad told me to go get the boys and to keep my plans with the girls. There was nothing I could do there and sitting around worrying about things that are simply out of my control is a recipe for disaster for me.

As I walked into the after school room, it was apparent to the boys that I had been crying. At 4 & 6 they are very intuitive to people's emotions and when we got to the car I let them know that I had been visiting Great Granddaddy.

What my mother did next, was beyond anything that I was expecting. She was able to turn one of the hardest days I have had to encounter and put laughter and happiness back into it. Granddaddy never would have wanted us to sit around being sad. Only two times you could ever see that man sit was if his Orioles were playing or at 11 am to watch the Price is Right before Grandma refueled him before he went back to work on the farm the second half of the day.

The boys and I pulled up to Ahma and Granddaddy's house and she had quite the surprise for them.

Their own egg hunt. Just for them.

Thank you so much, Ahma. Thank you!!

Boys got a special dinner while I ran home, washed my face, and ran out to have dinner with nine women that were able to help me forget about life for about 90 minutes. Big thank you, ladies. Afterwards, I looked through photoalbums at mom and dads for pictures of Granddad. The boys laughed. Scratch that. The boys made fun of my many hairstyles over the years. I told them they were the 80s, that's what you did. The word perm is not to be used in my vocabulary ever again. 

Nine hours later, I have nothing to report on my grandfather. I have a feeling it will be a long night for my dad and his brothers and sisters.

I end this entry with optimism. To be the grand daughter a man who lived almost 91 years young and was married to his one and only true love for 65 of those years. They had six children, 9 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren. I am able to go to sleep tonight smiling, knowing that soon he will be "home" safe with his bride.