Throughout my life, I have always looked up to my grandpa, Earl. Every road trip that I can remember he has given my cousins, siblings, and me a $20 dollar bill. You might think “Big deal, he gave you some snack money for the trip.” That’s not the way I saw it.
During the pandemic of July 2020, my oldest sister Riley had her graduation, the same week my other sister Mary Cate had her Confirmation. My grandparents are so dedicated to their family, no matter what. My uncle and cousin drove from Chicago down
to Kansas to pick my grandparents up. They made the trip down to Texas in the middle of July. I was so thrilled to see them all because it meant a lot that they were driving down here for this. The week had gone so well. We were able to go to my oldest sister Riley’s graduation and watch my other sister Mary Cate’s Confirmation on TV. We went boating on Lake Travis on Friday. A “perfect week” I would call it.
The next day was my grandparents, my uncle, and cousin’s last day in Texas. That morning, my grandpa was walking around trying to find us kids. He gave Mary Cate a $20 dollar bill. He then gave me a $20 dollar bill as well. After that, he gave me a big hug and a kiss on the head. I responded with “Thank you and I love you too.” Not even 20 minutes later had gone by when my uncle was calling 911. I kept asking people what happened. My sister said “Grandpa is not feeling good and we think he’s having a stroke.” My grandpa was 2 feet away from me sitting in the rocking chair in the living room, quiet as can be, and if you knew my grandpa the last thing he ever was, was quiet. The ambulance arrived within minutes and they took him to the hospital in downtown Austin. He had then stayed in the hospital for eleven days. Those were the longest days of my life.
I keep the $20 dollar bill he gave me in my phone case. I had made an oath to never spend it. I look at it and it reminds me of him. The fact that it was money had nothing to do with it. It was a symbol of how much he loved me. My grandpa has worked hard for everything he’s given us in life. He believed in spending money on memories, not objects. He loved his family so much. There was never a dull moment where I ever doubted his love for us.
Every morning he’d go to church and pray as a faithful Cathlotic. My grandfather fought in the Vietnam conflict to serve our country. My grandfather was one of the most dedicated, hard working people I had ever met in my life. On Wednesday July 22, 2020 my grandfather peacefully passed away after days of being in critical care. It was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through.
I remember looking at the $20 dollar bill and thinking about him. That $20 dollar bill was the last thing he had ever given me. I knew from that day on, that he didn't give it to me because I needed cash. Grandpa gave it to me because he loved me. All of his life he has given up everything to put family first. He never stopped working up until he passed away. All the long hours and years of hard work was for us. The money he spent on Tybee Island, Georgia each year for our family vacations, the money he gave to the poor each week; these were all small parts of how he showed his love for people. This was all going through my head that day he died. I believe there was a reason my grandpa gave me that $20 dollar bill. It is because everyday I can look at that bill and strive to love others as much as he did.
Eleanor Brown
Freshman, Vandegrift High School