Dedicated to Pa

This post is a little different. It is inspired by watching Youngest Son and Pa (my Grandfather) playing a serious game of Poker (5 Card Stud) this afternoon. Pa played exactly as he had played with my mother, then me and now my son. Youngest Son could not have been happier.

My Crazy Granny (see March 31 Post) got married at 15, had two kids at 16 and 17, divorced at 21, married to Pa at 23. So Pa is really my step-grandfather but to me he is the real deal. My childhood was stereotypical dysfunctional. Pa was always there to do whatever was needed for Brother and me (and the other kids too.)

Pa lied about his age to join the Navy for WW II. He never finished high school. He became a truck driver haul'in cattle mostly. I remember riding with him from Fort Worth to Dallas when I was about 11 years old. Pa happily handed over his paycheck to Crazy Granny and never questioned how she was using it to help us kids.

Pa loves the story (he told me tonight) of when I was 1 year old. I would only sit in his lap and then proceed to pee on his leg. He has a picture of me sitting on that leg on his dresser to this day.

A saw my Brother become a hero the day he took care of Pa in the hospital as Pa almost died of emphysema complications. Brother took control and made sure all was right with Pa's care. I was thankful for both Brother and Pa that day.

Pa is a simple man with a heart of gold. He loves all of us kids as if his very own blood was coursing though our veins. How fortunate I am to have had him touch my life.