So many of you know about my grandfather. Most of you don't, however.

He is dying of Parkinson's Disease, and probably will not make it through the week. I say "probably" because he wasn't supposed to make it through last Saturday. But my grandfather has been a fighter all of his life. I have never known him to ever give in or roll over when faced with a challenge.

Forced to drop out of school during the depression, he had to work just to help support his family. Then he entered the US Army and fought valiantly like so many of the brave men and women of his generation. He was an anti-aircraft gunner on Iwo Jima towards the end of the war. And it was there that he began a letter correspondance with a beautiful young lady named Dorris. That beautiful young lady would later become my grandmother (whom I will be writing a blog about later when this has all passed over). He then worked for GA Power where he was knocked off a telephone pole and had to have his right leg amputated under the knee. He never once let this stop him as he was a champion parapalegic golfer amongst other things.

But his greatest battle has been with Parkinson's. This nasty struggle between will and enevitablity has taught me more through these last two years than any world traveling or text book learning.

Never once has he complained or asked, "Why me Lord?" Instead, he has stood steadfast in the face of this terrible disease and laughed at it with total disregard to its worst blow.

And through these last 6 days, he has fought with death with the courage that has seen him through the entire journey of his life. He has not been able to have anykind of real nutrition in these 6 days, been diagnosed with pnemonia, and has had to deal with a host of visitors coming to see him here at the hospice. And he's still here!

They say its not how many years you have in your life, but how much life you have in your years. My grandfather has had more life in the last 6 days of his life than most people will have in their entire existence on this earth.

I wish that I could do him justice with this blog, but I can not. The flowerly language that would grace my tongue has left like a theif in the night and I am reduced to the simpleness of awe.

The only thing that I can say about the situation is this.... To God be the glory, great things He has done. He has been so faithful to me personally through these last two years that if there was any doubt in my mind of his grace and mercy, there remains none anymore.

All words are escaping me now, so I find myself wanting to resign the rest of this post. So I will leave you with this.

Live like you were ALIVE. Go for it. Kiss the girl. Be crazy. Don't stand outside the fire. And if you get burnt.... chicks did scars.. lol.

I love you guys.

-Jeff