Mom just played me a recording…
… of my grandfather (Papa Doc) practicing a toast he gave at my other grandfather’s second wedding. It’s how he memorized things because by the end of his life he was blind so he would listen to the recording over and over. It has been 6 years to the day since I heard his voice last; 6 years since my mom swooped into the hospital room and he died in her arms the day before my 19th birthday. He had senile dementia and most of the time he couldn’t remember anything, let alone how old I was. The day before he passed he looked at me and said, “It’s your birthday in two days, isn’t it?” we all looked at each other, I started crying and said yes. I believe he let go the day before my birthday so that I wouldn’t remember my birthday that way. I’m a big sobbing, wet mess. I love(d) and adored that man so much.
