Hymns for Grandpa

Jewel Becker Simmons

I can remember my Grandpa Teter playing whiffleball with my little brother and me in the side yard of his house. We loved being with him. He was laughing as I whacked the ball into the vegetable garden. We couldn't find it, so we drove to the five and dime to get a new one. He held our hands as we crossed the street to enter the store. I remember my brother's wide eyes when Grandpa told each of us to pick out a teddy bear.

When I was seven years old, Grandpa came to live in our home. When I'd come home from school in the afternoon, he'd be sitting in the den near the parakeet cage, trying to get the parakeet to talk. And we would laugh when it only whistled back.

Sometimes, Mom had to help Grandpa get around. When he stood up, he had to lean heavily on her arm. He was often out of breath. It took him a long time to get from one room to another. Mom would seat Grandpa first at the dinner table while someone helped bring food to the table.

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