Writing in Remembrance
I really struggled with writing my grandfather’s eulogy. It felt like immense pressure. How could I possibly capture this giant in my life in a few sentences?
I thought it would be an easy task when I first agreed to write it, but I quickly found that no amount of words could even begin to cover every feeling that was being felt. I remember sitting with my notebook at the time and writing everything I loved about my Paw. Nothing I wrote seemed to be good enough. So many people were loved by this man in unique and honest ways, and I wanted that to be felt through the words I wrote.
“I owe my life to a man who wore overalls everyday…”
Overall Paw was inspired by one of my most favorite articles of clothing and my most favorite person in the world. We rarely think about how the giants in our lives are able to stand so tall all the time. They carry a lot, but we don’t always realize the magnitude of their burdens until we are left to pick them up for ourselves.
It wasn’t until I was standing in his workshop and I placed my hands in the pockets of my overalls that everything seemed to “click.” It was as if his spirit guided me, just as he did throughout my entire life.
My hope with this poem is that it carries my Paw’s legacy as well as encourages others to imagine what they would find within the pockets of those they admire most.
