"May I have a moment alone, please," Brooke asked as we stood where her dad was buried seven years ago.
I think of the life we had, what he meant to me and to be standing with our now 18 year old daughter at his grave doesn't even seem possible, yet it is.
I met Keith May 16, 1997, two days after my divorce. I remember the moment I laid eyes on him, the very first words he said to me and I still have the little sundress I was wearing the 1st time I met him in Brooke's keepsake box. We were together for 1-1/2 years, to be honest nine years total ... .
Brooke's grandfather passed away and we took a road trip to Indiana. A trip both of us were so grateful we took!
Our hearts felt hesitant as we pulled up to the very funeral home we were at seven years ago. It was awful then, but entirely different this time. Her grandfather was two weeks shy of being 90 years old and died simply from old age.
It was a happy day of family, siblings, everyone coming together from all different states. This family has been part of my life for the last 20 years. Thanks to social media we have stayed connected and it wasn't catching up as much; rather, I heard a lot of, "OMGosh, your granddaughter is beautiful!"
Brooke's sister Brittany was not able to make it, but her brothers did.
Here is Brooke with (her 1st cousin) Christin and (Brooke's brothers) Ryan and Joe.
Brittany is in Kansas, Ryan and family in Oklahoma, and Joe and his wife in Virginia. Christin in Mississippi, Aunt Kim in Tuscon, Arizona and Aunt Debbie in Indiana.
The biggest bomb shell was when we sat down for dinner after the funeral!! A couple sat across the table from us and the guy (60-something) said, "You are my niece," to Brooke and his wife said, "Oh, you are Brooke!" This man was an unreal version of Brooke's grandfather who just passed. His same face and the same voice! I leaned over to Kim a bit confused and whispered, "Did Keith have a brother?!" He did. Why doesn't that surprise me I didn't know he had a brother 20 years later?! Probably because Keith wanted to be the only boy and was definitely the spoiled golden child of Keith and Harriet. Kim explained grandma & grandpa were both married prior. Doug (the mini version of grandpa) was from grandpa's marriage and here Debbie was from Harriet's marriage. I never knew. When they were married, they had both Kim and Keith. I adored his brother and wife. What a super friendly and happy couple! Of course, I am still finding out new things about Keith even after him passing. That was so him.
Ryan's wife Lauren brought the kids in and Brooke met her niece and nephew. Rylen is 5 years old and Paxton is 3. When Paxton entered the room, everyone knew it. That kid lit the room up with a larger than life personality. Cute as a darn button (and I didn't even get a photo) with his blond head of hair, giant smile and a flirt! He commanded attention and I couldn't help but watch him.
Sweet, little Rylen was magnetic to both Brooke and I. At dinner after the funeral she was with us 75% of the time smiling, bouncing, and hugging us as if she couldn't get enough of us. We fell in love with her.
When she put her soft little five year old hand in mine waves of this is Keith's grandchildren filled me. He would have been over the moon in love with them and they would have LOVED him! I would have teased him mercilessly about being a grandfather, but now I am a grandmother, too.
His grandchildren he never even met and in all their hugs, attention and affections I couldn't help but think without the brokenness they would have been mine, too.
As we were leaving I hugged Joe and Ryan goodbye and told Ryan, "Your little guy is a ray of sunshine, he reminds me very much of someone else I once knew." Ryan laughingly nodded and said, "Yes, and the next 20 years are going to be interesting!"
It was fun road trip for both Brooke and I in our travels together and we are both so glad we went.
Brooke and her daddy (I'm guessing, in 2002)
