Grandpa's Visit

As a little girl I will always remember going to visit our Grandpa's factory in LA. This was a huge outing for my sister and I because we loved spending time with Grandpa. Grandpa always had a ton of energy, was such a comedian and loved my sister and I and all of his grandchildren to pieces!! It was awesome, he was the owner of a large company called "Mr. Satin". There he made satin sheets, bedspreads, comforters, pillows; anything and everything for bedding that was made of satin..he made it. To a little girl it was like a huge playground. The showroom was two story and there was a large spiral staircase that my sister and I would run up and down giggling as little girls often do. He had a large counter where the customers would come to pick up their orders, pay for their products, etc. This was "our counter" when we came to visit. We would pretend we were important business executives making large purchases and paying for items with our paper money, using the large cash register. We would write pretend receipts, answer pretend phone calls and just use our innocent little imaginations to have such a great time. When Grandpa wasn't busy he would take us to the back of the warehouse.."the factory". This was a huge cemented area with large noisy machines, huge presses, women sewing details on the pillows and so forth. The smell was unforgettable and I will never forget all the nice people that worked there and how proud it felt to be our grandpa's granddaughter's and to feel like we too owned that place.

Years later things changed and Grandpa and Alex (his wife) moved to Las Vegas to start a new chapter in their lives. Even though the factory visits had come to an end the memories of the factory and how happy Grandpa was when we came to visit and especially how proud I felt to be loved by him is something that will stick with me for eternity.

Two years ago my Grandpa had a stroke.. actually two strokes, the first one not so bad but the second one was really bad and left my happy, vibrant, energetic Grandpa unable to walk, talk as well, and basically live the life that he was used to. Thank GOD he still had his personality and the "jokester" attitude because I'm sure it was that which kept him positive and willing to try to walk and talk again. With the HUGE help of his wife Alex (who we are all so grateful for) he can now talk, feed himself, on a good day walk with the help of a cane, and tell the silly jokes that he is known for. Being that he lives in Bullhead City, AZ now we don't get to spend much time together anymore like when he lived here in LA(especially now that I have two kids of my own and a very busy life).

A few weeks ago my Grandpa & Alex came to visit and stay with my parents for a few days. It had been a long time since we have gotten to spend more than a few hours with them so I was so excited. Immediately all the memories flooded my head..the days at the factory, our river trips, our lunches & dinners at fancy restaurants, riding in Grandpa's Mercedes, visiting him in LA, visiting him in Vegas, I can go on and on forever. This time though things were different very different. You see as a little girl you don't ever imagine the people you look up to and love so much ever getting older or needing the help of others to live there day to day lives. This is when being a "grown up" is so hard, because the fantasy we have as children begins to linger and the reality of life sometimes sets in, and can be very hard. The first day Grandpa had a long ride in the car so it was very hard for him to walk with his cane. He got around in his wheelchair only.. this was very different then him running circles around my sister and I like the good ol' days! I had no problem though stepping right in to help him get around like he used to do for me many years ago. The second day was much better he was getting around a little better on his own with only a little assistance from his cane and seemed much more comfortable. This made me happy. No he wasn't doing magic tricks or telling funny jokes but we sat for a few hours and just talked. He told me stories about my dad as a child and his minimal chance of survival. How he and my grandma would drive on Sundays down to "the city" New York to visit him..over an hour ride for a 5 minute visit. He shared with me so many funny stories about my Aunts & Uncles as kids and the first time they moved to LA in 1956. Man he spouted off dates like it was yesterday (now I know where my Dad gets it) RAINMAN!! LOL When I talked about my future as an High School English teacher he told me all about his days in High School and what he learned in English in those days. It was funny he even started correcting my grammar saying "and your going to teach English" ha ha only Grandpa!! These few hours of conversation that we had meant more to many than the many visits I had as a child, because you see I finally got to know Grandpa. I left that day feeling so proud and excited that I got to know a piece of my Grandpa that I had never gotten to know before. Although it isn't always easy seeing people physically struggle Even though he can't run around like he used to he still has that great sense of humor, the witty personality and the love that he has for his family like he did when I was just a little girl.


Family is something that my parents from day one have taught us will always be our backbone in everything we do in life. My family has been so close and such an amazing part of my upbringing and the mom and wife that I am today. I can only hope that as I sit and tell stories to my grandchildren in many many years from now they realize just how proud I am of them and how much I love them like my grandparents have reminded me. I am so happy that I got to spend time with my Grandpa and sad that he had to go back home after only a few days. I do know one thing though.. our visit meant more to me than the million visits that I had with him as growing up...and for that I am so grateful.

I love you Grandpa so much more than you will ever know, thank you for being such an amazing man!!!