Noemi with Grandma and Grandpa, October, 2009Donovan’s father was diagnosed with esophageal cancer 3 ½ years ago. He has moved through surgeries and treatment with a smile on his face and a never-ending optimistic spirit. His time with us is quickly drawing to a close and for this we are absolutely heartbroken. And so, in his honor, I would like to tell Noemi a bit about her Grandpa…
Long before you were born, Noemi, I fell in love with your father. Daddy has a way of helping me feel calm and peaceful—he is a good balance for me. He is kind-hearted and gentle, warm and giving. He always wants to know how you are doing before he will ever think to tell you about himself. The funny thing is, when I later met Grandpa, I quickly learned that Daddy inherited these very things from him. Your grandpfather has always been an incredibly steady and generous person—the kind of man that you trust in an instant. And he taught Daddy these things just by loving him. I feel so honored that every time I see your father, I see pieces of Grandpa in him.
You should also know that Grandpa was excited to meet you before Daddy and I even knew who you were. When he learned that we were adopting a baby, Grandpa was thrilled and eager to know the details of the process. He was so supportive from day one. I will never forget the twinkle in his eye and the hearty, teary hug that he gave me the day that he saw your photo for the first time. He just couldn’t wait for you to come home to us and made sure to buy you your first teddy bear, just as he has done for all of his grandchildren. Since you have been home Grandpa has been smitten by you. He loves watching you giggle and play; and he thinks the way you communicate is so clever. Grandpa has lovingly referred to you as the desire of our heart; and he is right.
How we wish you had more time with Grandpa so that he could teach you about the sweetness of life. Grandpa would love to show you how to plant and grow flowers in the yard and then take a break by pushing you on the swing. He would bodysurf in the ocean with you and help you make deep moats around sandcastles. I have no doubt that Grandpa would share his pretzels and peach ice cream with you and ask you to help him make his famous chocolate chip pancakes. Once you were old enough he would teach you how to play a proper game of crokinole with the family and canoe in the summer time. But most of all, Grandpa would teach you to laugh with abandon. His jolly laugh is contagious, and when he gets laughing along side Great Grandpa Witmer and Great Uncle Jay, it sounds like a chorus of glee. It’s a feast for the ears.
The thing about Grandpa is that he knows the secret to a happy life: to love, serve, be humble and laugh richly. He knows that he is a child of God; and for this reason his life is full of sweet laughter. Grandpa walks through each day knowing that he needs nothing but his faith in Christ and that worry and fear only get in the way of that. By living with the assurance that you are a beloved child of God, Noemi, Grandpa’s laughter will live inside you forever. I’m sure he wants that for you, my dear—to wake each morning feeling the joy of this life simply because you have a deep love inside you that comes from being God’s child. So go ahead and make a joyful noise everyday—Grandpa is laughing with you.
