May 5, 2170
I remember Granddad
Well, I honestly don’t remember him in
the traditional way. You see, I never met him. But I am happy to say he made
arrangements during his lifetime for me to know him; at least from a distance.
The distance we call ‘time.’
His name was William (McDonald). He
went by the nickname Bill. He was quick to tell you that his first name meant
‘Protector.’ And if nothing else, he was the Protector of our family tree and a
myriad of old stories and photographs connected with it; carefully labeled with
the appropriate names of an assortment of otherwise unidentified individuals.
My 4x Great Grandfather passed away in
the year 2051. He lived to a ripe old age, dying peacefully in his sleep; less
than 24 hours after his 102nd birthday. He always claimed he’d make
it to the century mark, and he was good at his word. Granddaddy William
sometimes spoke of his own 4x Great Grandfather Rev. Isom (Peacock), my 8x
Great Grandfather, and who having lived to be 107 …died falling off a horse!
Well, Granddaddy William gave Granddaddy Isom a good run for his money.
I think I must be guilty here of
inferring I knew the old boy better than I possibly could without having met
him, except
…he left something behind.
That was my ancient grandfather’s way
of putting it. He often used that phrase in his writings, for he was a prolific
writer, indeed; having left behind an autobiography, doctoral dissertation, a
multi-volume diary, numerous unpublished volumes, and thousands of pages
dedicated to miscellaneous topics of his day.
Granddaddy William claimed his own
father was his inspiration, as Granddaddy Henry was a collector of names and
histories before him, and left behind an illustrated binder which included a
myriad of old pictures and genealogical history. A great uncle and distant
cousin, before him, wrote accounts of their Victorian era experiences.
My beloved ancestor seemed especially
keen to leave his descendants a message which it was impossible for him to
bequeath in person. His was the first generation in which information could be
relegated to permanent e-storage, and in his writings he admonished us to go
right on ‘passing the baton’ to the next generation; (given the necessity to
convert the drives and disks to whatever type of storage anteceded the former.
Pt. 2
Before he ‘stepped across the great
divide’ Granddaddy William left me, (and his then unseen progeny which would
follow him) a personal note.
It reads as follows
I stare into the eyes of that yellowing, fading portrait of
my great Grandparents now, and their dull, unblinking eyes reveal
… absolutely nothing.
And I have often mused, “Why didn’t you leave something
behind?”
Oh, how I would have enjoyed knowing you. How wonderful it
would have been if you had left some word, some reflection, something of
yourselves.
Well, my dear descendants, I have decided NOT to repeat their
mistake; (and yes, I consider it an irrevocable mistake; which once the party
has passed from this earth can never be corrected.) I think the following daily
journal entries, (as well as my previously written autobiography, counseling
memoirs, and other volumes) will not only elicit a few laughs, but provide you
some insight into the life of your ancestor; someone not unlike yourself, who
lived, and loved, and moved, and breathed, and made his way about this earth,
and even impacted a few for good, “before you were even a twinkle.”
You deserve it.
And this writer, who by the time you read these words may
have long since ceased to live, and love, and breathe, and move, and enjoy the
beauty which God has visited upon our planet, can only wish you well, and
exhort you to do as I am currently doing…
We are all too close to having eyes which do not see, ears
which do not hear, and mouths which do not speak. While there is still time,
… Leave something of
yourself behind.
And so much
more crucial than my previous admonition, I earnestly pray, (and I have prayed
for you when you were not, and when only God knew you by name) that you will
give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, faithfully serve Him, and make a
profound difference among those whom God has chosen to set in your pathway; as
I believe that I have done.
For as a
wise and equally well-known man of my time, Dr. James Dobson, (whom I once met,
and conversed with) has encouraged his own children, and grandchildren…
… “Be
There!”
… “Be
There!”
I hope to
meet you in heaven. I’ll be waiting just inside the gate.
Granddaddy
William
Is it any
wonder I write as if I knew him? How can one read such stuff as this and not
develop some ethereal bond with a man who prayed for me and mine decades before
we were a passing thought or proverbial theory?
How can I
deny him his richly deserved Legacy by failing to give my life to the God whom
he served? How can I squander the days of my life and avoid making it count for
something and someone, as he made his life count before me?
I am
inestimably glad and eternally humbled that before his passing my ancient
grandfather took measures to assure he would avoid the fate of the majority of
his own ancestors who pre-dated him. For you see, to me my Grandfather William
is so much more than a yellowing, fading bit of celluloid. He has become as
real and vibrant as anyone whom I can presently see with my eyes and touch with
my hands.
And as he
has done before me, so shall I do.
I remember
Granddad
**Hypothetical
letter written by William McDonald ("Granddaddy") as if a yet unborn
descendant was writing it
by William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "McDonald's Daily Diary." Vol. 40. Copyright pending.If you wish to share, copy or save, please include the credit line, above
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