Harry Smith

Dear Peep

On the 5th day of Christmas, my Peep gave to me, five rules to live by.

1. Always expect the worst, that way when something good happens, you will be presently surprised.

2. To believe in God and Jesus, and the rest is up to fate.

3. To always work hard, no matter what your job and no matter what your title.

4. To love and protect your family at all costs.

5. To find a career or job that makes you happy.

First, I must tell you that you have taught me much more than this over the years, but these are some of the main things I have gotten from you. Some were spoken and others I have constructed from the many conversations we have had over the years. In the end, much of what you have said has shaped who I am today, and it has molded me into who I will always be.

It's funny because I have never agreed on so many points with someone and at the same time disagreed with someone on just as many other points. But the thing is, no matter how much I don't see eye to eye with you on certain issues, I still respect the hell out of you. I always have and I always will.

Over the years, I have always enjoyed spending time with you. Reading to you on the way to school in the mornings when I was little, or playing ABC games in the car when you picked me up from school. In fact, probably half of my memories of you occurred in the car when you were taking me to and fro. And in case I never said thank you for that, well, thank you. I probably owe you 2 bajillion dollars in gas money.

You are a really great person. I have this sneaking suspicion that you may not know that you are. In fact, as I write these, and think about the many wonderful people in my life, it has occurred to me that many people don't know how great they really are. So I guess what I'm hoping is that you know. My whole life, all I have ever seen is you sacrifice for the ones you love in countless ways. God knows, you certainly have done so for me.

How do you say thank you for the person who made sure you never did without? The person who fed and clothed you, the person who gave you all your hearts desires? Truth is, I don't know. I've been trying to figure that out for years now. About the best I've come up with is this:

Thank you Peep. You have given me so many wonderful things. True, many might be monetary, but many more things come to mind for me. Thank you for teaching me to be a hard worker, my diligence, my stubbornness, how to find success, the importance of education, the importance of God, that people will let you down and how to not let down others, a love for music, the greatness of The Lone Ranger, how to pick your nose in a convert able, the importance of exercise, the importance of a good diet, how to make a good campfire dinner, etc, etc, etc.

Most importantly, I want you to know that I am OK and I feel I am going to make a place for myself in the world. Sometimes I feared you thought that you might be forced to always take care of me, but I have worked to provide myself with an education and soon a career as well. In the end all I want, all I have ever wanted is to make you proud.

In the end, what I want you to know more than anything, is how much you mean to me. I love you so much, and nothing in this world could ever change that. I know we had our difficulties, especially when I was a teenager, but that never put a dent in how much our relationship means to me, how good of a man I think you are, and how wonderful of a grandfather you have always been.

Merry Christmas, and I can't wait to see you Christmas Eve.

All My Love,

Salina