Ninety

Grampie on his motorcycle, which he still wishes he could ride today.

Over the last month, my grandfather dropped many hints that he didn't want us to do anything special for his 90th birthday. He wanted this to be a "low note" birthday.

We didn't listen.

Grampie and his favorite car.

On Saturday afternoon, we gathered together eighty or so family members, friends, and former customers (he owned an oil company in town for years, which my uncle now owns) together to wish him well.

My grandparents with my mom and uncle - I can't tell you how much I love this peek into my grandparents as young parents.

In addition to the food, drink, and dessert, we had sprinkled the room with some special items.  On the tables were photos from fun moments in his life, chalkboards painted with "1927" prices, news events, births, and technology, and tags naming his favorite things in the world, like trout fishing, Listerine, and York peppermint patties.

Thanking everyone for coming - he was very emotional.

All afternoon, the room was filled with smiles, laughter, and the sharing of memories.  Not living in the town where my mom grew up, I spent a lot of time asking who different people were and how they were connected to us.  After years of family reunions, I could identify when the person walking in was related to me, but often times names and connections slipped my mind.  It was fun to see cousins and more cousins who we usually only see at reunions.

My grandparents held court in the middle of the room, where everyone could come and sit with them for a few minutes and catch up.  There were so many memories shared, so many laughs and smiles and tears. It was a beautiful three hours.

My grandparents and their three children.

Afterwards, our immediate family went back to my grandparents' house. I set up the signs and other things in the office so that they could look at them, since I knew they didn't get around to them at the party.  We let my grandfather open his cards and spent some more time together as a family.

My grandparents, their three children, two son-in laws, six grandchildren, four grandchildren in law, and three great-grandchildren.

I am so incredibly lucky to have this man in my life. He has been there for every important event - proms, graduations, weddings. He makes every holiday uniquely ours, with Easter Egg hunts and Santa tapes and jokes.  He always has a twinkle in his eye, a wisecracking joke, and a friendly smile.

The present I gave him - a blanket with photos of his family.

At Christmas time I wrote him a letter. In that letter, I shared with him that one thing I will always remember and value so much are the moments, in the midst of the family craziness, when our eyes meet, and we smile at each other, both knowing how lucky we are to be where we are, surrounded by the people we love.  The video below is my favorite moment from Saturday - knowing that he felt the love, that he knows he's loved, that he's the reason for the love.