Halloween!

Halloween has always been one of my very favorite Holidays. Getting together with family, eating food, and getting ready for the craziness that was soon to follow that evening. My family moved to Utah shortly after I graduated, and after one semester at ISU I transfered to Weber State to be with them. My first Halloween here was spent in North Salt Lake at my aunt and uncles house. They had just adopted Olivia, and she was just perfect. The cousins dressed up and the older boys took the younger ones out in the neighborhoods.
It was this Halloween that was so special to me and one that I will remember forever. Earlier that month my Grandpa had found out that he was going to need another operation on his heart, or else he would die within a few months. So, he was torn. He had already had two or three major operations on his heart and didn't know if he would have the strength to do it again. This day, spent with his newest grandbaby, I think he decided he would go through with it.
Once the older boys had scarfed their food and ran outside with the little ones, the house was quiet. My grandpa held Olivia and very quietly, while smiling at the baby, said, "It's good to be alive."
We knew that he didn't have much time, and I couldn't hold back the tears as the man that had taught me so much in my life said those words. He had so much pain, yet he was so happy. I was overcome with gratitude for being able to have this man as not just my Grandpa, but truly my dad.
He had the operation in February and it went smoothly. He recovered slowly, as heart surgeries require, and by June was ready to go out and Golf again. He laughed, and went to his grandkids events, basketball, baseball, choir, dance, you name it, he was there. He loved to live.
In August he had a stroke. It was very scary, but four days later he was out of the hospital and at church. He recovered so well from everything. Grandpa is invincible!
It wasn't until mid-September that we heard the news. He went into the hospital after ignoring the pain in his side for months, thinking it was just from the heart surgery. The doctors found pancreatic cancer that was at stage four. The doctors said there was nothing they could do, except to hurry up and wait. They said he had 6 months. He left the hospital a little over three weeks later, not coherent, in so much pain. Our hearts ached for our grandpa. He died a little over three weeks after he went into the hospital.
My grandpa was the strongest man I've ever known and also the happiest man I've ever known. I will never forget when he turned to me that Halloween and said those simple words, "It's good to be alive."
It is good to be alive. My life is beautiful, my family is wonderful, and there are so many adventures left in store. We'll sure miss him, but he taught us everything we needed to know.
Happy Halloween!