My sweet grandfather passed away last weekend. As you can see, he was the cutest man, with a great sense of humor and a great smile to match. This shot was taken just last August, on his 78th birthday. I will always regret not making more time to spend with him, even for the simplest of visits, like lunch on a Saturday, or dinner at the Officer’s Club. Still, I have tons of wonderful memories to hold close and to share. My favorite is about the time when I was seven, and didn’t listen to his warnings — I was playing and chasing the neighborhood boys down a rocky ditch, when I fell and scraped my knees and palms raw. He came out to me, but wouldn’t pick me up until I promised to stop crying and “hollering” like that. I learned my lesson fast, and since that day, when he swooped me up and bandaged my boo-boos, I haven’t even thought of doing any dumb thing like that again. Leland was so smart. He gave the kind of advice that made you wonder why you didn’t think of that.
Leland was an avid toy maker, and growing up, I always got to be the first to try out his latest and greatest product. I had little wooden cars and trucks that my barbies stylishly cruised around in, a highchair and rocking crib for my dolls to enjoy, and several scooters and wagons to play with, all handmade with love. After giving my brothers and me our share, he donated the rest to Kids Yule Love every Christmas, sometimes up to 500 toys per year.
Leland may not have been related to me by blood, but he related to me in all of the ways that count. He was always there for us, and taught me a lot about life, through his words and actions. He never had a negative thing to say, and he would just smile, and trust that everything would work out, no matter what. I admire his strength — even at age 78, he was still the sole caregiver for my grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. He treated her like a queen, and catered to her every need. I miss Leland so much, but I am glad that he can now nap all day, without a single responsibility to cloud his mind. Leland is my angel — he always was, but now he really is.
My heart goes out to both you and your family for your recent loss. May Leland rest in peace always. It proves what a wonderful man he must have been during his time here on earth because he touched you in ways you’ll never forget; imagine how many other people must feel this way too. Life is such a wierd concept…so many extraordinary people come and go when you least expect it. Just proves that you should live life to the fullest each and every day and never neglect to show love to the ones you care about on a daily basis. Love you! -Kelly
I am so sorry for the loss of a great loved one to you and your wonderful family, Auty. It is so beautiful that you are able to cherish and share your memories about your loving grandfather. Kelly is right, it is so wild how people so amazing like that can come and go in what seems like no time, but they end up leaving such an impact on your life. It is difficult to lose a person like your Leland, but it is magnificent to remember him. I only hope that everyone has a Leland in their lives at one time or another. I love you Autumn. You and your family are in my prayers.
I didn’t know Leland for long, but I found him to be a sharp, kind, and knowledgeable man. I’m glad that he and I had a couple of chances to talk, though not as many as I would have liked. He and I could talk about politics, and we were delighted that we agreed on many topics — both of us being in the liberal minority in Georgia. It’s always a shame when someone as good as Leland is lost to us, but we’ll at least keep him memory alive as long as we can.