A Gift From Grandpa

July 31st would have been my grandfather's 86th birthday. It's been roughly seven months without him, and though we know that his faith carried him over to the other side safely, we still grieve and miss him dearly.

There are a few things that have stood out to me this past week as I have been pondering his life and remembering our celebration of his 85th birthday last year. My grandpa was intentional with his faith, his family, his love for music, travel, and all good things, and his finances.

I know that it is odd that I would mention finances, but he was a forward thinker. So forward, in fact, that upon his passing a small gift was given to each of his grandchildren to be used in any capacity. That is how much he loved each and every one of his grandchildren. He intentionally made sure that his care after his death would not only include his wife of 57 years and his children, but he took the time to remember his grandchildren.

So I spent a lot of time thinking through how I could possibly use this gift wisely. Given that he was one of my many foundations and supporters of my love for music and travel, I had considered using the gift for a trip. But then I kept thinking about all of my piano recitals and piano competitions he attended, and that's when I knew that my gift needed to go toward the purchase of our Steinway.

So when our Steinway arrives in our home in the next few weeks, we will be toasting champagne in my grandpa's honor. Soon I will have a continual living reminder of my grandfather and his love for us all. How special is that?!