Happy Father's Day Everyone.

A story for this day.

My Grandpa eats, sleeps and breathes sports accomplishments from his nursing home bed where he hasn't been able to walk for the past 12 years. We struggle to figure out what to get him for occasions because of his situation, and his failing mind, so we opt for silly little things... peanuts for the squirrels outside his window...sweatpants...westerns. Things for his life confined to his bed.

My Aunt's boyfriend, one of the most thoughtful men I have ever met, trumped us all forever in the gift giving department this Father's Day. He went to the high school where my parents and my grandparents attended and found a picture of my grandpa's basketball team from 1948. Read: it was black and white and not because it was trendy. He took a picture of this old photo and had it blown up and re-framed. The photo was from when my Grandpa's team went to the state tournament and got 4th that year. Maybe not a big deal, but my parents hometown is like 400 people that came and went with the mines. My Grandpa's team's story made it into a small book written about the history of this area and it's something that has always been near and dear to his heart.

We try to make him forget who he was so he isn't so sad, so he doesn't ask us things for things that we can't give him. This guy, while not even officially a part of our family, loved this difficult man very well by giving him back his dignity.

For a brief teary-eyed moment. That man gave my grandpa back his legs.

In other news, also for Fathers Day, somehow I ended up with a brand new rake in my back seat. Dad is always finding ways to stick stuff like this in my car. He apparently got this one for free because he bought so much stuff at the Home Depot? I have had such various and sundry items in the Murl Mobile from Papa, including a broken axe handle to be used..."Just in case you break down and have to walk somewhere..."