Lessons from Smoky

Go grab your scotch and water. I’ll wait…You got it?

Okay…now we can properly reminisce about a man who the moment you say his name you have a smile on your face and you just did a little laugh. Why? Because if you’re like me you’re thinking of a time he did something or said something straight up, slap your knee, hilarious.

For awhile, I didn’t even know if I wanted to write something about him, but then I thought about Grandpa and realized he wouldn’t give a crap and would probably tell me the same thing. “What do I care, honey?” So here we go.

Throughout life you’re given many lessons from people you’ve encountered. Grandpa Smoky definitely taught us a lot about life whether he knew it or not and for those I’ll be forever thankful.

Lesson #1: Who Cares?! Grandpa was the type of man who didn’t have a care in the world. He said what he wanted to say and did what he wanted to do. Sure he cared about his family, especially Joan, but when it came to doing what he wanted to do, he did it. Unless Joan had anything to say about it then maybe he’d at least pause for a moment before he ended up doing it anyway. 🙂

Lesson #2: Scotch and Water is acceptable at anytime: At one of the grandkids’ weddings Grandpa was asked how after 50+ years of marriage they made it still work. He replied with three words: Scotch and Water. On his birthday one year Nick and Brad went over to his house around 8 in the morning. Dad took a sip of Grandpa’s coffee and about spit it out. Why? Because inside his coffee that morning was a splash of scotch. When asked why he had it he responded with “Well, it’s my birthday.”

Lesson #3: Love like crazy: No matter the age or the time gone by, love your other half with everything you have. Grandpa was probably the cutest man to watch when he flirted with Grandma. You could just see the love spilling over. Their marriage is what people write about in novels. I mean who comes up to a woman, tells her to leave her man, get married to him, and proceed to be married for 64 years? Only Grandpa.

Lesson #4: Table Talking is perfectly legal: If you ever played a game with Grandpa, you know he table talked. If you were ever partners with him he’d say something and then wink at you to make sure you knew his plan. People would constantly harp on him and tell him to stop, but he’d just smile and say “Huh?” like he couldn’t hear them or didn’t know that what he said would be considered “table talk.” Anytime he played cards he’d lick his thumb, grab his card and then slam it on the table and say “Spaahh!” like what he just laid was for sure going to win.

Lesson #5: Don’t take life too seriously: He was by far the biggest kid at heart. I mean who at 70 breaks their collarbone just so he can get an out playing softball? Until the end he was cracking jokes and reminding us that no matter the card dealt you can always smile and joke about something. (ie. “How’s it going today, Grandpa?” “Oh, I almost died today, you should’ve seen it.“)

Lesson #6: Be kind to everyone you meet: Grandpa had a way with people. He could make anyone feel like his best friend. Maybe you knew him your entire life or just for a couple of minutes. Either way, he’d welcome you with open arms and make you feel like part of the family. It was one of his best qualities.

Grandpa is now in Heaven, playing golf constantly. He is no longer in pain. He is in a perfect world, with a perfect soul, hanging out with our perfect God. While we on earth mourn his death, we won’t cry for long because we know he is home with our Creator and that…that is something to smile about.