Three Years Later: A Tribute to My Grandpa
Today marks three years since my Grandpa Bradford stepped through the veil that separates this imperfect world of ours from a much holier place. I think it will always feel like a little piece of myself is missing, just missing the one-of-a-kind warmth that came from feeling so tenderly loved, in the tangible way that my grandpa was so skilled at conveying with a hug, a pat on the back, a squeeze of the hand or even a brief but soul-searching glance.
But this year as my little girl has grown older and developed such a little personality, I feel like my eyes have been opened a little wider to see all the ways that my grandpa is still with us. There have been some sacred moments over the past year when I have felt my grandpa’s presence near, and some are too special to share that I hold close to my heart. But there are other little fun reminders, like watching my baby girl raise one eyebrow and noticing an uncanny similarity to my grandpa’s signature raised-eyebrow stare. Or the fact that finger puppets are her favorite toy to play with at church, and I imagine how much she would have loved watching my grandpa with his mouse (he used to bring a wooden mouse to church in his pocket and entertain little kids with the way he could make it appear to be squirming out of his hands).
I see Grandpa in my brother who bears his name and looks exactly like photos of my grandpa at his age. I see Grandpa in my cousins who proudly walk the halls of Logan High where his teaching days are legend. I see Grandpa in my sister who paints the photos he took during his travels. I see little pieces of Grandpa living on in each of my siblings and cousins, because his one-of-a-kind love shaped us in unforgettable ways, and we are each walking forward, making our way in the world, buoyed up by the knowledge that one of the best human beings that ever lived had a heart that beat for us.
Love and miss you, Grandpa.
Read more about my grandpa and the way that his final months
inspired my photography journey in the following posts:
Two Years Later: A Tribute to My Grandpa
