In loving memory~

There is a wedding ring hanging from my rear-view mirror. This is not a typical left hand--platinum and diamonds-- marriage kind of ring.

My wedding ring is a fishing lure.

This mere fishing lure grounds me.
It reminds me of who I am, where I've been and where I'm going.
It guides me.

It's been 10 years since my grandpa died.

I remember pieces of him. His laugh. Some of his jokes. But I can't think of the last time I talked to him, or the last moment I spent with him. The memories are only pieces. My grief comes from knowing how much more it could have been--the questions I want to ask him, the stories I want to hear. Those moments only he could give. The older I get the more I know how close our relationship would have become. I am overcome with emotion at how little I knew him, the loss at the chance I had to really know him.

My grandpa died in his boat, after a successful fishing trip. On the lake he grew up on, in his boat, enjoying a beautiful day with a great pastime. Just like that. Even brought the boat back into the slip. Took care of the fish that now hangs on the wall in my parents house--one last memory we were left with, one more precious gift.

I am awed at the love between my grandpa and grandma. My grandma misses him today as much as she did 10 years ago. She'll never get over their love or the loss of him in her life.

I can spend the rest of the day sad, crying in my coffee... Or I can look at my hot pink wedding ring, and remember the good times. I've been blessed with an incredible family and the generous amount of time we spend together, each moment more precious. We have so many bonds between us--strongest is the love that unites us.

I can cherish the memories...the wedding ring significant to so many important legacies and treasures. We gather now for fishing and camping, and moments that will stick with us forever. The lake that is magical to me--that grounds me--that reminds me who I am and where I'm going.

The lake that served as an ending to one, but a beginning to me.

I can cherish the grandfather who gave me so much.