Key Messages: I want to tell everyone that grandpa is an incredibly kind and generous man. I want him to know what an important part of my life he has been. His strong, gentle support is always present. He has always been proud of me, no matter what my flaws. How special he makes me feel because he can always recognize my positive attributes. My grandpa can always be found at the Coleman coffee shop bragging about his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He has always made me feel very special and loved. This took place no matter what was happening in my life. He loves to tease and be playful and is always trying to make people smile.

Memorable Moments: As a toddler, I called my grandpa "Dop-a-dee-dee" and he called me "Wendy Raisin". I loved it when he would tell me that I was his favorite granddaughter, and it took me several years to realize that I was his only granddaughter. I remember him taking me for rides on his tractor lawn mower and being pinned to the living room floor while being tickled until I was breathless with laughter. He always made a point of coming to my sporting events as well as all my school plays. When I went away to college, he loaned my his personal car so I would have a means to come home. He became Papa to each of my four children and has taken as much interest in them as he has me. He has seen me through a rough divorce and then back into a beautiful marriage. He marveled in the miracle of medicine with the birth of my premature twin daughters. He is most definitely a gift from God.

Dop-A-Dee-Dee

Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please? Every now and then in life, there's opportunity you should seize. Because days, weeks, months happen, the years can go so fast and words that should get said - don't and if they do they never last. So I'm going to change all that, change it right here and right now, I hope the right words come along, I'll give it my best shot - anyhow. You see, the reason we're all gathered here, is to honor a very special man, a man who is incredibly kind and generous and in truth, I'm his number one fan! He has played such an important role in my life, he's been my mentor, my lighthouse, my guide and I couldn't have picked a finer grandfather, I couldn't - even if I'd tried. His strong, gentle support is always present, he's always been proud of me, no matter the flaws, he can always recognize my positive attributes and at key pivotal moments, he's been my greatest applause. And that faith has been the wind in my sails, it has encouraged me to try for greater heights, in fact, he's taught me how to eat an elephant and how to keep life to mouth sized bites. He can always be found at Coleman's coffee shop, bragging about his grandchildren, some of whom are great and he loves to tease, be playful and make you smile, actually he's more than a friend, he's a mate. As a toddler I called him "Dop-a-dee-dee", he'd call me Wendy Raisin for fun and I loved it when he said I was his favorite granddaughter, it took me years to realize I was his only one! I remember him taking me for rides on his lawn mower and being tickled on the living room floor, pinned down and breathless with laughter, sweet memories that'll last me for evermore. He always made a point of coming to my sporting events and was an avid fan of the dreaded school plays and he lent me his car so I could get home from college, you see, he's helped me in so many ways. He's become Papa to each of my four children and has seen me through a rough divorce, now I'm back in to a beautiful marriage and his guidance helped this ship get back on course. He marveled in the miracle of medicine, when my twins miraculously pulled through and he, like them, is a gift from God and you should know that we're all very proud of you. He is the most unselfish man I know and as a child there was little he possessed, he grew up on lard sandwiches and biscuits, but he made sure his family always had the best. This meant he had to work very long hours, but he still had a quick smile and so much love and I've always felt blessed in my life, in fact, blessed from the heavens above. Because I think our relationship is extraordinary, Wendy Raisin and Dop-a-dee-dee, he's given me so much throughout my life and he means the very world to me. So I just wanted to say thank you, that's really what these words are for. Happy Eightieth Birthday, Grandpa and here's to another eighty more!

Copyright www.agiftofpoetry.co.uk 2008

Allen Jesson

Comments:

Wendy kindly replied:
"Allen,

This is wonderful! You have done such a perfect job of putting all my thoughts and memories together. I just have one minor alteration and that would be to change, "he's been my only applause" to "he's been my greatest applause". I would like the poem on Beach at Sunset paper.

Please feel free to publish this poem, you don't need to change names. I would very much like to have your hand written draft.

Thank you again! "