Tribute to Grandpa Hanchett

To the older grandchildren he was a person, a friend,
Someone they visited and who came to visit them.
He was a smile, a game, a story, a lap where they
could cuddle for awhile--
A grandfather to touch, to adore, and to emulate.

To me he is only a vague memory, a movie not quite
in focus.
I know he held me in his arms and loved me.
His name recalls feelings of happiness, but I still
feel the sadness of his death.
I was only a small child, but I knew someone important
to me had gone.

There are grandchildren even younger than I
To whom he is just a picture in the family scrapbook-
Only the stories told at family reunions, the
reminiscing of their parents.
They didn't feel his touch--even for a moment.

And yet he is with us all.
Some have his stature, his physical appearance, his
coloring.
Some have his humor, h is love of laughing and his
twinkling eyes.
We have his reverence for nature and his love for
this great land.

We also have, through his daughters and sons, his
love for God.
His faith, his testimony, and his concern for people
are also within us.
Yes, he is with us still. Whether through the memory
of association
Or the influence of reputation, we are his.
(February 1984)