I never met my grandfather. He died when my dad was only 7 years old. I also did not have much of an interaction with my Lolo because I was too young to care during that time. Sadly, he passed away when I was only 4 years old.
Sadness encircles me whenever I remember that I did not have the chance to know them personally. However, I have hope safely tucked in my heart that we will meet in Heaven someday.
Lessons Learned
Their character, quirks and habits have been passed down in an enchanting way.
I learned to eat vanilla ice cream with corn flakes and chocolate syrup, from my Grandpa. (It was his favorite.) He was also an accountant and worked as a hospital administrator. Currently, I am working at an accounting office of a hospital. I’d like to think there is some connection in that.
I don’t know much about him and I only have one distinct picture of my Grandpa imprinted on my mind. I can imagine that he was a hardworking and kind man.
I learned the importance of reading my Bible from my Lolo. Mama would sometimes recall his words of wisdom and share them to me. A hand-me-down lesson from Lolo to Mama to me is: “If you don’t know what a word means, don’t ask other people. Consult your dictionary.”
I still have the books my Lolo Manuel used to read. While I was reading the books, I noticed that he had a habit of putting check marks on top of the pages he had already finished reading.
My love for reading and books definitely came from him. (Aside from my Dad)
My Lolo worked hard to provide for his family. He gave his children a good life despite the hardships. And tried his best to provide the same for his grandchildren.
He did not have enough money to give as an inheritance to his family, but I hope he knew that his diligence, love, patience, and kindness were more than enough to be considered precious gems that his family inherited.
I’d like to end this post with a verse from Exodus 20:5-6:
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Who you are today; your faith, your character, your habits, your decisions, etc. will be passed down to the thousands of generations of your family whether you like it or not. That’s something to think about. 😉
Notes:
Grandpa – Dad’s side
Lolo – Mom’s side (Filipino word for grandpa)
Life With Rachel 