Opa Piet 07/29/1922 - 09/14/2009

This morning i heard the news that my sweet grandfather, Opa Piet, passed away this morning.

It was something I had been expecting, since his condition has worsened each week. By now, he could not do much, he could not talk, move or interact. I'ts been a very slow process so I am a bit relieved as well, because it didn't seem like a fun way to live anymore.

Hopefully, he felt the same about it.

I'm glad i still got to see him recently, on our trip to Holland, and also left with the idea i would probably not see him again.

I must say, Opa Piet and Oma Eva (she died when I was 12) were always the grandparents i spent so much time with, and loved to do so. They had their own little pine forest, lived in the countryside, and loved me to pieces. I was always spoiled rotten so of course, i enjoyed going there.

As a little girl, I'd stay there often for days, and snuggle up in bed with them each morning, hear the pigeons "rookoo" in the pine trees. Then we'd have a big breakfast, my grandmother always set the table the night before, and I was always impressed with how opa could peel his boiled egg with a teaspoon.

I'd hang around with him a lot, watching on a little milk stool, as he did work in the garage or around the house.

He worked on his car a lot, an old bright orange Opel kadet, that we jokingly used to refer to as a cookie tin.

As i got older, he used to be the cool grandpa, who would sport my baseball teams team logo cap, while working around the house. (old men in Holland don't usually wear baseball caps). We used to laugh a lot together, and he'd rarely get angry with me.

Then, when I was a teenager, we used to sit at our kitchen table a lot, drinking coffee, talking about lots of things, things you might not usually talk about to your grandfather. We'd laugh, drink more coffee, and he'd smoke.

When i left for America i did tell him how much I'd miss having coffee with him often.

While I was working on getting my green card, i used to be so afraid something would happen while i hadn't seen him in so long and wouldn't be able to visit.

Luckily, starting in 2006, I've been able to see him each year. My kids know who he is, he knew my kids, and that means a lot to me.

Now, I'm finding myself suddenly travelling to Holland for a few days on Friday which feels weird. It'll be nice though having this extra chance to see everyone, but it feels weird. Normally I would plan this months in advance, now I'm suddenly going after waking up this morning not knowing anything like this would happen. This will also be the first time of me being away from Kel and the kids, and that does make it a bit difficult.

Opa, hopefully you're happy again now, for the past years haven't been your best. I'll miss you.

I created a little photo album, which you can see by clicking here or on the collage. :-)