"What ya doin ref!!!" is one of the memories I have of Grandpa Cec. He was always at our basketball games in high school and even though he wasn't my blood grandfather, he was simply known at Grandpa Cec to everyone who knew him. I was fortunate enough to know him a little better than most people because he was the grandfather of my best friend, Craig, growing up. He was much more than just my friend's grandpa, he sort of adopted me as one of his own, especially since Craig and I were always hanging out with each other. One summer Grandpa Cec and Grandma Martin invited me to go down to South Carolina with them and Craig on a vacation. Though I don't remember much about the trip itself, I do remember feeling like I was with my own grandparents.
There are only a few people in our lifetimes that you can call an influence, and Grandpa Cec was one of those people. He always put other people before himself. I can remember him helping Craig's mom out with yard work. He would mow the lawn, plant flowers, and do whatever else he could to help. It wasn't just me that he influenced. It was anyone he came into contact with. My younger sister Rachel, who played Volleyball at Liberty University called me one day to tell me that Grandpa Cec and Grandma Martin showed up at one of her games. Liberty University is down in Lynchburg, VA. That's not just a cruise across town. He took an interest in people's lives and he made them feel special. He visited other people he knew that were out of state, for no other reason than to just see how they were doing. You don't find many people like Grandpa Cec anymore.
I will always remember Grandpa Cec. He passed away on September 21 and was welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven soon there after. In his final weeks of life, he still put other people first. One night I went up to the hospital to visit him. When I got there he was sleeping. I didn't wake him because I know in hospitals it is hard to get any sleep, with all the doctors and nurses checking up on you. I got word that he was disapointed that I didn't wake him up. He said he was sorry for sleeping. I wished I would have woke him up, because I didn't get to see him before he went home to the Lord. While he was in the hospital, the doctor's were telling him that things didn't look good for him and that Cancer was doing its work. He told the doctor's that where he came from, that when a horse was sick or wounded, they would take it out back and finish it off with a shotgun....jokingly he asked the doctor if they had any option like that for him. The great part there is that he wasn't afraid of death. He knew what awaited him in Heaven and he wasn't afraid. He got to talk to all of his family and they all gave him permission to go. While we will miss him down here, he will be waiting to greet his family when their time comes...and what a great day that will be. Heck if I get there I am sure he will be there to, just like he was when I was young, making sure that I am doing well. My wish for that day is that he will have his famous fishing hat on, like the one in the picture, because that is how I will always remember him. He was a great man and he lived his life well.
Thanks Grandpa Cec', I will always consider you as my own...
