Remembering

7 years ago my lovely Granda died. I don't normally let anniversaries affect me but for some reason it really hit me today, I have to admit there were a few tears this morning.

I was very lucky to have all 4 grandparents alive and nearby until I was almost 21, and I'll always be thankful for that. Everyone always said that I was really like my Granda Alfie, and I definitely see a lot of him in me. He was always very quiet, perfectly happy to sit in silence in the corner with the cat on his lap, with me sitting in silence on the mat in front of him, while the madness unfolded around us (and with our family, there was always madness!). He didn't say much, but when he did say something it was often something really funny, so I have lots of happy memories of laughing at his little comments. My cousins used to say that he spoiled me, and they were probably right, maybe because I was the quiet one too.

This photo was taken on a holiday in Spain, the first time that Granda ever got on an airplane (and he was terrified!). I'm the little tanned kid on the far left, looking pretty happy to be in the sun with my family. This photo really makes me smile, even though I'm sad. We all miss him terribly.