When Grandpa asked me to say something at his funeral a few months ago, I was apprehensive.  A thousand questions flew through my head all at once, what if I couldn’t come up with something coherent to say? What if I just cried the entire way through and couldn’t get a word out?  And then I realized that just saying anything would be what he wanted.  Being honest and sharing what he meant to me was all he ever wanted.

The more I thought about what I wanted to say, I kept coming back to a line from a song in the musical ‘Wicked’- “Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better.  But because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”

I can say that I have been changed for the better by knowing Grandpa.  He was one of the best people I’ve ever known.  He taught me not only how to drive, or how its not only alright, but perfectly acceptable to have chocolate in your breakfast, but he also taught me how to be myself, and how to love unconditionally. 

Grandpa had a big heart, and he touched innumerable people in his full and long life.  He loved fully and without reservation. 

We’ll all miss him, but we can all say that we have been changed both for the better, and for good by knowing Grandpa.  He would want us to continue in his example, living and loving fully and without reservation.

I love you Grandpa, I’ll miss you.

(And I managed to get through it without sobbing uncontrollably.)