Grandpa Doug

Dear Grandpa,

Rest peacefully and rejoice in the love, strength, and energy of the family that loves you dearly. We will honor you the best ways we know how: we will laugh as we cherish the stories from your life, we will cry because we can't help but miss your presence, we will support and listen to each other, we will watch birds and camp in the great out-of-doors, we will love to learn and learn how to love better, we will do our best to be steady and consistent and true, we will give good hugs and wave goodbye from the porch, and we will continue to live out the lessons and passions you helped us to realize.

Today I am alone in this apartment and I am exhausted. Your departure shakes me to my core and I can't help but surrender to the emotion and weight of this loss, but I won't forget the legacy that you leave in our family. They are too precious and wonderful to take for granted, and we have many things to look forward to. Rest peacefully, because you leave us in the good hands of each other.

Love, love, love,
Larkin