Strongest Men
Grandpa Lueders entered into glory last wednesday at 1:40 in the morning. In the flurry of planning and memories that has followed, I have had time to remember some really special moments with grandpa.
The date was August 11th 2007. My family had been visiting Omaha for about a month, and this was to be their last day in town. Since they were leaving the next day, the Lueders were having a little get-together at Dave and Susan's house. I really wanted to be there for my family, but I had made a previous commitment to attend a friend's wedding in western Nebraska.
I had already put my suit and tie on and had just sat down to print out the directions to the wedding, when I realized that the wedding was a little further away than I had originally anticipated. So, at the last minute, I decided to ditch the wedding, and spend some time with my family instead.
I will never regret it.
SInce I did not go to that wedding, I was able to witness a priceless moment that can never be remade or undone...I got to see my dad say good-bye to his dad for the last time.
Grandpa had been battling cancer for a few months, and my dad lived thousands of miles away in Hawaii. As I watched the two of them hold each-other's arms and look into each-other's eyes, I knew that they knew, that this would be the last time.
Dad apologized for not being able to be with him more often...
Grandpa assured dad that it was not his fault and that there was nothing he could do about it...
Dad told grandpa that he would see him again...if not in this life...than in the next...
I don't think they knew I was watching them...but I was. Through my tear-filled eyes, I knew that I was witnessing something that I would never forget.
Even as I burst into tears and grabbed my dad at the family viewing this last monday, I was reminded of that encounter during the summer. Losing a grandpa is easy compared to losing a father. As I held my dad, I was crying for him. Grandpa's death was a reminder to me that someday I would have to say good-bye to my dad.
Surely I will miss Grandpa's dry humor and his sarcastic love for us kids...but he wasn't my dad. Watching each of this man's sons stand up and talk about "the strongest man they ever knew", was very powerful to me. But as they talked, I realized that Grandpa isn't the strongest man that I ever knew...my dad is. And someday, I'm probably going to have to watch him grow weak as well...perhaps until he can barely utter a word.
But he will always be the strongest man that I'll ever know.
This is a song that I wrote and played at Grandpa's funeral. Psalm 23 was Grandpa's favorite bible passage.
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