Papaw Jack

Today during worship I started thinking about my grandfather on my dad’s side. He passed away a few years ago and I miss him. Papaw Jack loved other cultures and different languages! He would be happy that I am here in India and would want to hear all about it when I get back. He could match every story that I would tell him and begin to laugh and smile a toothless smile as he reminisced on days past of his many travels. (He was a painter and traveled and painted!) Papaw Jack could quote LONG poems in other languages and had such perfect inflection that I would find myself thinking that I really understood the language he was speaking.

Papaw Jack loved SPICY FOOD! He could make the best chili that you have ever tasted and loved true Mexican food!

Papaw Jack helped me out a lot. :) One valuable lesson that he taught me was one day when I was terribly embarrassed about something and wanted to crawl in a hole and disappear. He said, “Suzanne, you need to learn to be the first one to laugh! When you are the first one to laugh at yourself those that are teasing you or making you feel less then have lost their power. It takes practice but when you can master laughing first you will have the upper hand.” What a valuable lesson to a young insecure teenage girl.

Papaw Jack also never let me come see him with out telling me that he was proud of me and that he loved me. Our visits always ended with me kissing him on top of his head and him telling me that he loved getting kissed by a pretty girl. It ALWAYS made me blush. :) I miss that.

I know that I will see Papaw Jack for he trusted in Jesus a few days before his death, this brings me great Joy. I know that he has many stories he is just waiting to tell me about heaven.