“Grandparents Day after your grandparents die looks different.
Grandparents Day looks like dodging the card aisle because you just can’t bring yourself to read them and the truth is you don’t feel like you belong in that aisle anymore, it’s for those with a Papaw or Nana that lives here and not in Heaven.
It looks like changing the channel when the commercials come on talking about gifts for grandma because you know that not even Amazon Prime can deliver a gift to Heaven.
It looks a lot like hoping nobody will ask you what your plans are for Grandparents Day or what you bought them.
It looks a lot like picking up the phone and hoping that somehow today the lines in Heaven will be open and they will answer, just this once.
It looks a lot like wishing you could buy them just one gift, or take one new picture with them.
It looks a lot like running to the phone every time it rings hoping this time it will say ‘Nana Calling’ or ‘Grandpa Calling.’
It looks a lot like old memories and trying to remember the last Grandparents Day you spent with them and hope you made it special enough.
It looks a lot like old pictures together because they won’t here to take new pictures with you.
It’s a lot of people telling you how you should move on and just walk down the card aisle.
But you see, Grandparents Day is so much more than all of that after they leave for Heaven.
It’s a lot like savoring every moment you cannot just on the holidays but every single day in between.
It’s a lot like praying that your kids know that the cards and gifts are great but all you really want is time with them and that’s all because your Nana taught you that.
It’s a lot like thinking of your Grandpa the entire day but knowing that’s nothing new.
It’s a lot like hoping that you’ve turned out to be every bit like Grandma.
It’s a lot like praying they are up there in Heaven knowing that this Grandparents Day will be like all the others since they left.
It will be a day where no matter how much the grief creeps in you will still forever be thankful that because of them you get to have this day and no matter how far away they are or how long they’ve been gone you know they are still your grandparents and nothing can ever change that.”
This story was written by Nikki Pennington of Grief To Hope with Nikki Pennington. The article originally appeared here. Follow her on Instagram here and Twitter here. Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best love stories here.
Read more from Nikki here:
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