Momma Always Said...

..."He's more like his father everyday."

That is what my momma would say about my father when she was frustrated by something that daddy had done or said. I would think to myself "I like my grandpa!" and having my daddy like my grandfather was just A-OK with me.

Fast forward many years....MANY years. My dear sweet father-in-law was just as round as he was tall (and he was NOT tall) but in every other way my husband could be his father reincarnate.

This is my tribute to my father-in-law, on today...what would have been his 95th birthday.

Richard Davies Gwillim

Everybody ready? I remember times when we would be visiting with the in-laws while our boys were just toddlers and grandpa would announce we were going for a drive, out to dinner, etc. So, we'd spend the next 15 minutes gathering the diaper bag, putting on the coats and finding a lost sock to cover toes and heading out the door...where was grandpa? In the garden, where else would he be?...we would get the boys buckled into their carseats and sit and wait, and wait and honk the horn and wait. Finally he would come and off we would go. He was always totally oblivious to the fact that we had been waiting and waiting and trying to keep two little boys happy while we waited. After a few times like this we would take our own car, with my mother-in-law and let the father-in-law arrive when he was ready. I used to get so upset when we had to wait and wait for that man to shift into a gear ANY GEAR other than "turtle". I don't ever remember him walking out the door without walking through the garden, even on his way to church!! He loved to tinker in his garden, loved to watch his veggies grow, loved to surprise his wife with the fruits of his labor....and how could he do that if he were not keeping an eye on the garden?

Never met a stranger. The first time my in-laws came to visit us after we had moved to the coast he ran into a former student of his. Fine, great, wonderful. But they then proceeded to bring up the good ole times and yak about everyone who they knew mutually. EVERYONE. Hubby and I and mom in-law went to the car, boy did I wanna leave that man at the store for him to figure out how to get back to our apartment. Finally he came out of the store and without a care in the world as he filled US in on all he had just gleened from this former student. WE DIDN'T CARE...but he did, he was the friendliest man I have ever known. If he did not know you, he knew someone you knew and it surely did not take him long to figure out who the two of you knew.

Laughter lines...oh you might call them crows feet, but if you knew my father-in-law, (which I am sure if you did not know him, he knew someone who knew you...he would make the connection!!) then you know they were not crows feet but laughter lines around his eyes. Twinkle...oh my goodness, his eyes just twinkled when he laughed, which he did everyday!! He loved to tease me and I loved to watch his deep laughter lines!

This man loved my boys so much, he treasured every moment he had with them. Our boys were 5&3 years old when their grandpa died. Ryan was a bit young to understand what that meant, Roy was at such a tender age....he took it really hard. Roy's grandfathers death just broke his little heart. Roy and his grandpa had a unique relationship. From the time Roy was just under a year old he and his grandpa would go down to the coffee shop and have coffee together. I was really not thrilled with this...just not thrilled at all. What if he forgot Roy? What if Roy threw a temper tantrum? What if he couldn't get Roy buckled back in the car seat? This man was 42 when my husband was born, my husband was 28 when Roy was born that means my father-in-law was over 70 at the time...how can a 70 year old man handle a rowdy one year old toddler? None-the-less off they would go...off to have coffee (cocoa for Roy) and a donut with the guys at the coffee shop. Oh the stories grandpa would tell when they FINALLY returned. This man loved his grandsons. When Ryan was approximately 6 months old grandpa rocked that little guy for the first time. I remember watching as tears rolled down his face, into his Santa Claus beard when he was finally able to hold this frail infant, who we prayed over day and night to keep him alive. Grandpa loved this little man, loved him so much. My father-in-law confessed to me that he worried he would never be able to hold this grandchild, and it broke his heart until baby was strong enough to be held. I shed tears remembering this giant of a man holding each my sons so gently.

Not having been brought up in a Christ fearing home, my father-in-law was the first older man I ever saw read a Bible who was not a minister. My father-in-law loved the Lord and was faithful in spending time with his Father, all the way until his last day on earth. I have no doubt he was standing at that Gate waiting for his beloved wife this past Mother's Day when she left this earth. I thank my father-in-law for setting the example...nothing warms my heart more than to see my husband or one of my sons reading their Bible, or seeing their Bible open where they left off reading.

My father-in-law was a funny man...round, chubby, jolly, peaceful...oh this man was a wonderful person to know. I am so blessed to have had him in my life for short time that I did. I remember how he loved to introduce me as "my daughter". Never "Ed's wife" Never "My daughter-in-law", always "my daughter" What a guy!!

I am sorry that my boys did not get a chance to know their grandpa as they grew older, but I have no doubt that they knew him well by the jolly laughter they heard each time Grandpa Gwillim was near, by the way he would read them a story, by the way he would stroke their little heads.

I do so miss my father-in-law, it has been 21 years since his passing, but I still miss his practical jokes, his teaching me to can, his funny way of shuffling his feet as he walked or scratching his back against a door frame, those times when he would be shy and would bring me a bouquet of flowers from his yard. I miss my kids standing on their tippy toes to see out the window when "grawpa" pulled in the driveway. What a wonderful man of God, what wonderful memories I will continue to treasure.