Grandad's Are Something To Be Cherished

Ever since I moved back in my grandparents’ house a few weeks ago I have found myself more intrigued by my grandfather. You see he doesn’t get out of bed often (he’s sick…really sick) and when I first moved in my grandmother and dad where in Maryland visiting family. I took care of him for a few days (cooked, catered to, and all those other things) making me realize I’m absolutely not ready to run a household…that junks hard. But it also reminded me that my family wouldn’t exist…I wouldn’t be here… if it hadn’t been for him.

I view my grandfather differently now... I view a lot differently now. I guess I’m growing up.  I call him Papa; always have ever since I was a little girl. When I was young he’d take me to baseball games with some of my other cousins. He got free tickets because he ushered for the Orioles.  I don’t remember them much.  Except Tejada I could probably tell you everything about Tejada…and Sosa…and Ripken Jr. Yeah I certainly remember how much my papa loves Cal Ripken Jr. In Maryland his office had a signed picture/article/plaque thing above the work desk. My Papa has more baseball memorabilia than any one man needs.  When I first moved in my room was filled with it all. Boxes upon boxes upon boxes of baseball cards all neatly organized into albums. I’m told he has some that are actually worth something. Let’s not forget the signed baseballs or hats or bobble heads or shirts or jackets or…yeah you get the point. He’s a fan. Did I mention his name is James…but everyone calls him Buddy. That just sounds like a baseball fans name if you ask me.

He has an obsession with wars. He can tell you anything about history. That’s probably where I get my love for it from. Call me a geek, it’s cool. I like learning about years past. It’s kind of funny because a lot of what he watches is World War Two stuff… my grandma gets annoyed sometimes. You’ll figure out why later. I like watching movies with him about World War Two. We watched Band of Brothers the other day…such a sad movie. The Holocaust gets me every time…I’m a crier I’ll admit. Fun story- growing up you couldn’t get me to read a book unless it was about World War Two and the Holocaust. My favorite? Number the stars and Lily’s crossing. I was a strange child.

From what my grandma…I call her Omi, its German…she’s German (understand why World War Two movies annoy her?)…anyways. From what my Omi tells me Papa wanted to join the war during Vietnam but she wouldn’t let him because she was pregnant with my father. He ended up going to Maryland University and working full time to support his family. That’s a man. I don’t think he loved Jesus though. Real men love Jesus. His daddy did.

My great-grandfather, John Bigbee, I get compared to all the time because of our common love of Jesus and worship leading. He went to Israel and recorded a record…yeah that old. He has another record. I think I have a copy of it somewhere. He also performed at Carnegie Hall one time. His form of worship leading is nothing like what I do though. Interesting how we do the same thing just in different era’s and it looks completely different. I wish I could have met that man.

Anyways back on topic…my Papa I guess I’m intrigued by him because I realize his time here with us is winding down. Obviously now is the time, if I want to remember him at all, to create some sort of bond with him. So tonight I watched a show with him on MLB network. It talked about ballparks and how they play a role in the actual playing of baseball. Have you heard of the marine layer theory? I hadn’t. Makes since though, the air on the west coast is thicker due to the ocean I think...let’s go with that. So the distance the ball travels in the parks on the west coast is shorter since the air’s thicker. Pitchers like pitching there. On the other hand Coors Field has the thinnest air so it has season after season been the field with the most home runs hit. In 2002 they started keeping balls in a humidifier so they wouldn’t shrink during play time. Yeah, weird.  Betcha just learned something.

That was my bonding moment with Papa tonight.

I thought you should know that Grandad’s are something to be cherished.