"You never know how many people like you, till you're dead," prophetically states Curly in the Broadway musical, Oklahoma! In my recent experience, I found the reverse to also be true. Recently, my family was presented with the possibility of my grandfather's death. For several years, I have felt the strains of distance and age pulling me away from my closeness to this great man. The chance of losing him made me realize the significant …showed first 75 words of 606 total…

…showed last 75 words of 606 total…tears fill the moats and valleys of his face, I see that age and sickness have taken their toll on the physical vigor which embodied so much of this powerful man. It will be a long time before he, once again, rises with the sun for his morning routine. Yet, the spark of life that has continued to inspire me for so long is still evident in his words and the brightness of his eyes ...