You may remember my last post about him. This week I travelled home to honor the life of my Grandpa Ike. It was a rough few days, but I was reminded many times about what a hero he was. I was asked to give the eulogy at his funeral. I thought I would share:
We all have them…vivid childhood memories. Take a moment to think back to your most memorable moment as a child. I have to admit…I take time often to think back to those moments of innocence, especially now that I am a mother of two. As I watch Tate and Lily bumble through their lives, I often find myself daydreaming about a time when life was simple and a sense of peace falls over me.
Whenever I am reminded of those times, I always end up back at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Whether it was celebrating holidays, exploring the acreage, or napping in the beanbag, each moment is flooded with emotions of family, tradition, and most importantly, love.
I consider myself a fairly reflective person. Maybe it’s the educator in me or maybe its simply because I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I always approach each day as a learning experience. And again, I find myself back to that place on Austin Road where I learned some of my most valuable life lessons.
#1 PLAY HARD…WORK HARDER…Whenever the grandchildren would ambush the house, the video games and movies were checked at the door. There were many vicious games of Triominoes, wiffle ball, and Kick the Can of which I ALWAYS WON!! (The younger cousins might debate that, but they were too young to remember correctly). I remember many winters sledding down the big hill. Jacqueline and Ashley would race Rusty and Tony on the old wooden sleds. Someone (usually the boys) would always end up running to the house crying with a face full of snow. You see, Grandpa Ike taught us the value of working hard…even if it was while we played. Us Willemsen grandkids might be the most competitive bunch around. No, Grandpa didn’t participate…he simply sat back and watched us play together and in that he found so much joy.
#2 HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS…One of the magical things about visiting Grandma and Grandpa’s was to see what new gadget they had picked up for us. There was never a chance to be bored at the house. Lit up candy canes, an American flag tire swing, and an old blown up alligator floating in the middle of the pond were all ornaments of my childhood. They always made their place feel like OUR home. I remember we had a barbeque at my grandparents the day after my wedding. All of my out of town guests found it hysterical as they rode the golf cart down the trail to find some of Grandpa’s “decorations”. I tried to explain why there was a stuffed care bear strapped to a weeping willow, but I don’t know if they ever got it.
#3 CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS…My grandpa Ike was one of my biggest fans. My favorite game every season was when my high school softball team played Newark. Grandma and Grandpa would always come and I would spend the whole game distracted by watching HIM. I would watch him beam on the sidelines and would listen for him to cheer me on…”Great play 13,” he would say. I moved away to Tennessee over 17 years ago and whenever I would come home, we would sit around the kitchen table and Grandpa would tell me what all of my cousins were doing…whether it was Nick’s cooking successes, Emily’s gymnastic awards, or Allison’s modeling career…Grandpa Ike was always the first to brag on his grandkids. He didn’t say it often, but we always knew how proud he was of us. One of my proudest moments was 8 years ago when Grandma and Grandpa went to Disney World to see me coach in a college softball tournament. Once again, I was watching him beam on the sidelines and cheer me on.
#4 PERSISTENT PAYS OFF…One of my favorite stories as a child happened when I was learning to ride a bike. I came to visit and he had decorated a bike for me in honor of my Uncle Duck. It was light blue with a yellow seat, white handlebars and bright orange pedals. He informed me that today I was going to learn to ride a bike. I loved my new bike and was so excited to learn how to use it. Grandpa would take me to the top of the hill by the house, give me a pep talk and let me go. Off I would ride down the hill, bike teetering with each pedal as I would slowly, but surely, steer my way right over the new tree that Grandpa had just planted at the bottom of the hill. It didn’t matter where my starting point was, I always ended up riding right over that same young tree. Now, notice this life lesson is not entitled PATIENCE PAYS OFF. Whatever patience Grandpa had, I tried it to the max that day, but I sure did learn to ride my bike (and run over trees while I was at it).
That tree story could sum up what my grandpa was to me. I have often referred to Grandpa Ike as my oak tree. He had a silent strength that supported us to grow. He protected us so we always felt safe. And he even let us play in his branches. Tuesday night before I left to come here for the funeral, a dear friend of mine gave me a book entitled The Oak inside the Acorn, by Max Lucado. It is the story of an acorn that leaves the oak tree and is always trying to figure out what it was meant to do. The mother tree tells the acorn, “Within you is a great oak. Just be the tree God made you to be.” Of course, the acorn eventually becomes a tall oak tree for a little girl. The girl ties a swing to its branches, builds a tree house atop its trunk, and finds rest in its shade. As they grow older together, it is obvious the young woman flourishes in the shade of its strength. And in that…she finds strength of her own. Most importantly, she becomes the woman she was meant to be.
Grandpa rarely spoke of emotional things. As a matter of fact, he avoided them at all costs. It even became an ongoing joke that when I would leave and tell him I love him, he would say “Jesus Creminity” and mutter something under his breath. He didn’t have to say a word…it was what he did that made the difference. I am who I am today because my grandfather taught me lessons in my life every day I spent with him. And when someone tells me I’m steady and strong, I smile inside because I know that’s a gift he gave to me. The gift that made me the woman I was meant to be. And yesterday, as I sat at lunch with all of my cousins, I realized we had become the family we were meant to be. And Grandpa Ike is beaming down on us now.
Whenever I am reminded of those times, I always end up back at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Whether it was celebrating holidays, exploring the acreage, or napping in the beanbag, each moment is flooded with emotions of family, tradition, and most importantly, love.
I consider myself a fairly reflective person. Maybe it’s the educator in me or maybe its simply because I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I always approach each day as a learning experience. And again, I find myself back to that place on Austin Road where I learned some of my most valuable life lessons.
#1 PLAY HARD…WORK HARDER…Whenever the grandchildren would ambush the house, the video games and movies were checked at the door. There were many vicious games of Triominoes, wiffle ball, and Kick the Can of which I ALWAYS WON!! (The younger cousins might debate that, but they were too young to remember correctly). I remember many winters sledding down the big hill. Jacqueline and Ashley would race Rusty and Tony on the old wooden sleds. Someone (usually the boys) would always end up running to the house crying with a face full of snow. You see, Grandpa Ike taught us the value of working hard…even if it was while we played. Us Willemsen grandkids might be the most competitive bunch around. No, Grandpa didn’t participate…he simply sat back and watched us play together and in that he found so much joy.
#2 HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS…One of the magical things about visiting Grandma and Grandpa’s was to see what new gadget they had picked up for us. There was never a chance to be bored at the house. Lit up candy canes, an American flag tire swing, and an old blown up alligator floating in the middle of the pond were all ornaments of my childhood. They always made their place feel like OUR home. I remember we had a barbeque at my grandparents the day after my wedding. All of my out of town guests found it hysterical as they rode the golf cart down the trail to find some of Grandpa’s “decorations”. I tried to explain why there was a stuffed care bear strapped to a weeping willow, but I don’t know if they ever got it.
#3 CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS…My grandpa Ike was one of my biggest fans. My favorite game every season was when my high school softball team played Newark. Grandma and Grandpa would always come and I would spend the whole game distracted by watching HIM. I would watch him beam on the sidelines and would listen for him to cheer me on…”Great play 13,” he would say. I moved away to Tennessee over 17 years ago and whenever I would come home, we would sit around the kitchen table and Grandpa would tell me what all of my cousins were doing…whether it was Nick’s cooking successes, Emily’s gymnastic awards, or Allison’s modeling career…Grandpa Ike was always the first to brag on his grandkids. He didn’t say it often, but we always knew how proud he was of us. One of my proudest moments was 8 years ago when Grandma and Grandpa went to Disney World to see me coach in a college softball tournament. Once again, I was watching him beam on the sidelines and cheer me on.
#4 PERSISTENT PAYS OFF…One of my favorite stories as a child happened when I was learning to ride a bike. I came to visit and he had decorated a bike for me in honor of my Uncle Duck. It was light blue with a yellow seat, white handlebars and bright orange pedals. He informed me that today I was going to learn to ride a bike. I loved my new bike and was so excited to learn how to use it. Grandpa would take me to the top of the hill by the house, give me a pep talk and let me go. Off I would ride down the hill, bike teetering with each pedal as I would slowly, but surely, steer my way right over the new tree that Grandpa had just planted at the bottom of the hill. It didn’t matter where my starting point was, I always ended up riding right over that same young tree. Now, notice this life lesson is not entitled PATIENCE PAYS OFF. Whatever patience Grandpa had, I tried it to the max that day, but I sure did learn to ride my bike (and run over trees while I was at it).
That tree story could sum up what my grandpa was to me. I have often referred to Grandpa Ike as my oak tree. He had a silent strength that supported us to grow. He protected us so we always felt safe. And he even let us play in his branches. Tuesday night before I left to come here for the funeral, a dear friend of mine gave me a book entitled The Oak inside the Acorn, by Max Lucado. It is the story of an acorn that leaves the oak tree and is always trying to figure out what it was meant to do. The mother tree tells the acorn, “Within you is a great oak. Just be the tree God made you to be.” Of course, the acorn eventually becomes a tall oak tree for a little girl. The girl ties a swing to its branches, builds a tree house atop its trunk, and finds rest in its shade. As they grow older together, it is obvious the young woman flourishes in the shade of its strength. And in that…she finds strength of her own. Most importantly, she becomes the woman she was meant to be.
Grandpa rarely spoke of emotional things. As a matter of fact, he avoided them at all costs. It even became an ongoing joke that when I would leave and tell him I love him, he would say “Jesus Creminity” and mutter something under his breath. He didn’t have to say a word…it was what he did that made the difference. I am who I am today because my grandfather taught me lessons in my life every day I spent with him. And when someone tells me I’m steady and strong, I smile inside because I know that’s a gift he gave to me. The gift that made me the woman I was meant to be. And yesterday, as I sat at lunch with all of my cousins, I realized we had become the family we were meant to be. And Grandpa Ike is beaming down on us now.
Rest in Peace, Grandpa Ike. May your legacy live on...
On another note, they have also both had their first timeout...one for not staying in line and one for spitting...I'll let you figure out who did what. Bet you'll never guess!
