#...but oh it feels so strange to listen to granddad give input on which funeral home would be best

[beholdthemem]

In between getting things done up at my grandparents' house, we've been talking with Granddad and occasionally learning some unexpected tidbits about family history. Like, I already knew both Granddad's father and stepmom were extremely involved in union work- the first time they met was in a UAW office!- but I did not quite realize to what extent.

"We had people come and visit a lot, and sometimes they'd stay for quite a while. There was one guy, when I was about seven, who stayed with us for some time- it wasn't until years later that I learned that was Roy Reuther, and Dad and Mom were hiding him because Henry Ford wanted him dead."

#personal #there is a photo somewhere of granddad as a little kid alongside my great grandparents- apparently this was at some kind of union related #event in atlantic city? huh. i never knew. #based on the information we've gotten from the doctors and tasha's friend the retired oncologist #it seems like things are early enough along that we have time to close accounts/whatever and spend time with granddad #but the locations of tumors mean don't get your hopes up. #it's... strange. #i know we're incredibly lucky to have been given enough time that we can do this *with* granddad and ask #how he wants things done- which cloud storage service to transfer his photos to #how he does the banking and how he'd like us to do it #insurance etc #we didn't get that with mom. it looked like she was doing better until suddenly she wasn't #and then in three days she was gone leaving us to sort out everything we hadn't had a chance to ask her opinion on #so i KNOW from *first hand experience* how uniquely lucky we are to have this opportunity #...but oh it feels so strange to listen to granddad give input on which funeral home would be best #and discuss at what point in time to take him off the car insurance #im still recording our conversations #i know i shouldn't but i like being able to listen back to what he has to say #and talk shakespeare with someone else who ALSO thinks it's ridiculous that anyone says 'he couldn't #POSSIBLY have written those plays himself he wasn't EDUCATED enough-' #there's a lot of happy things and sad things #it's all just... very bittersweet i guess.