A couple days ago, my family and I said goodbye to my grandfather. He had lost a long battle with lung cancer that had spread to his brain, and he decided it was his time to go. My family lives in Kenya, and I currently am studying abroad in Rome, Italy. We all flew back to Jacksonville, Florida to say goodbye to him for the last time. My grandmother, who has never lived alone before in her life, had been the one taking care of him in his confused state for a long time. The times when he would get up in the middle of the night thinking it was daytime, the times when he would fall down the stairs, and even the difficult times when he forgot her name and who she was. She was there for his entire deterioration, and watched him suffer for two years. I received my Giving Key from my mother right before I started college, but now it was time to pass on the message to someone that needed it more. Right before the funeral began, I explained what it was. I told her she needed the message of Strength way more than I did. She wore it throughout the funeral as she kissed her husband goodbye. He was an amazing man, and one of the most intelligent people I've ever known, if not the most intelligent. He was taken too early, at the age of 76. I hope the Giving Key will give my grandmother the strength she needs in the coming difficult months. She needs it more than anyone I know right now, because on February 24th, 2017 we lost a truly inspiring man. RIP Papoo. I love you.
-Callie
