Life, Death and Everything In Between

Life is moving awefully quickly. There is so much going on all over the place. I feel old saying it, because it's what my parents have always said and my reaction was always the same - you're old! But for the past few years I've started to understand what they mean.
This week something happened that reminded me of just how much is changing. Nicklas' grandfather passed away this past Monday morning. He had been very ill with cancer for the past few months, and was in considerable pain. None of us expected him to last long, but it's still a bit of a shock when they finally pass. I only ever met him twice, but he was such a sweet man. He was so kind and welcoming from the very first second, that it was impossible not to like him. Also, he reminded me of my own grandparents, the last of which passed several years ago. I miss them. They bring so much that you rarely understand until they're gone. I find myself wishing that I could go back and listen to all their stories and take on more of their knowledge that I was too young to appreciate before. It is a clear generation shift, which makes my parents and their fellows the old ones. Very odd.
I see now that I am in fact grown up. I've passed that stage where I can claim that I am not done. Not to say that I don't have a fair ways to go yet, but I have passed some big hurdles lately that I can even see myself. Looking at myself now, I really cannot say that it's something I feel a loss for. Change and growing is something we really should do. Who wants to stay and adolescent for the rest of their lives?? Speaking of them, I had a thought on the subway home today. Was I ever that obnoxious?? I really hope not, or I would retrospectively like to fall into a big black hole! I'm sure I wasn't even half as well behaved as I like to keep in my mind's eye, but please tell me I was never like that!
As a conclusion of today's revelating posts, I would just like to give a shout out to all those grandparents out there who are no longer with us. I'm pretty sure they don't have access to the internet, but I'm sure we all agree, that they are still with us in our memories. Momories that should be cherished, since they are all we have left of a generation that went through more than most of us could ever imagine.