I remember all the times I wanted to give up, when life seemed too difficult to handle, but hearing my grandfather say, “Keep going,” motivated me throughout my college journey.

My grandfather taught me a lot growing up. From manual labor to respecting others, I carry on his legacy by being myself and I wish he could see the person I am now.

For as long as I can remember, my grandparents would always take care of my brother and I because my parents were working. 

My grandfather was my best friend. 

No matter where he was, whether he was watching TV or mowing the lawn, I always wanted to be by his side.  

My grandfather grew up on a farm in Missouri where he and his family didn’t have much. 

One of the first lessons I remember him teaching me was to never waste food because I should be grateful for what I have.

To this day, I hear that lesson every time I see food in my house get thrown out when I know it’s still good to eat.

My love for food grew thanks to my grandfather teaching me to combine foods in ways I had never thought of before.

From peanut butter with bananas to watermelon with salt, the possibilities felt endless as a child. 

These new food combinations made me feel like I was Remy from “Ratatouille,” putting bananas on a cheeseburger and making an ice cream sandwich with cornbread. 

Even my father was unfazed by me trying these unique pairings as he knew my grandfather would do something similar.

I definitely got my sweet tooth from him, he’d spoil my brother and I with ice cream and other desserts, filling our bellies with sugar before my mom picked us up. 

His love for desserts had no bounds because he lost all his teeth and had worn dentures ever since. 

My grandfather was also a handyman with a passion for building and fixing things around the house like birdhouses, furniture and a shed.

As a child, I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen.

These skills I learned long ago are still with me today, when I trim trees, mow lawns and whack weeds. 

He wouldn’t simply tell me what the problem was, he would show me how to fix things myself and give me hands-on experience.

My grandfather pushed me with manual labor and taught me to feel proud of the time and effort I put into any task.

The biggest lesson I learned is to never expect a reward when helping others as I should offer help out of the kindness of my heart.

I learned this when he would fix his friend’s home for free, because to him, it was just the right thing to do.

He also loved spending time with me and the rest of his grandchildren. 

There’s no distance my grandfather wouldn’t travel to see us.

My grandfather knew how to put a smile on anyone’s face. His generosity and good nature made everyone’s day brighter. 

He always supported my dreams and was proud of the hard work I put into anything I desired

The reassuring words from my grandfather changed the way I approach new challenges because having support from family is life changing.  

I wish he was here to read my stories or know about all the new people I’ve met. There is nothing I want more than to hear my grandfather tell me “Way to go Zachy.”

My grandfather died of bone cancer in 2019 and my family never found out what caused his cancer. There was speculation it was caused by the chemicals in a weed repellent, but my family does have a history of cancer. 

I’ll always remember the last words my grandfather told me the day before he died. 

He struggled to talk, but managed to say, “Thank you.”

I know he wanted to say more to me but couldn’t. He was my hero, best friend and he never gave up in his fight against cancer.

There is not a day that goes by where I don’t hear his voice in my head.