Pa

Almost every mental image I have of my father-in-law is of him with one of the kids. Showing Al the "pond"--does 3 inches deep the size of a bed count as a pond? Climbing in & out of a 3 ft by 5 ft Strawberry Shortcake play tent with Princess for hours--he even fell asleep in it once. Turning on the spigot just so a 3-yr old little boy could spray the garden hose, who cares if it's a chilly fall day and the trees are already dormant, right? He loved to take them all fishing or down to see the beaver that built a dam not far from the house. If he was sitting, at least one of them was at his side. Or just shrugging and grinning when I caught him sneaking Oreos to the kids, after I caught my mother-in-law sneaking them some cake, after they'd already had dessert. My father-in-law was a quiet person. He was a loving grandfather & not just to his grandchildren, but to any child in his presence. He was uncomplicated. He was a gentleman as well as a gentle man. He is gone far too soon.