Happy Birthday Grandaddy

As most of you know my grandfather passed away a few months ago after suffering from a stroke, a heart attack and many other complications. I think of him everyday in everything I do. For those other than my family, my grandfather was a unique individual..he had these sayings that he would say on a daily basis. He said them so often that we all remembered them and could tell you exactly how he said them. Growing up and to this day I never understood why people hated their jobs or worked somewhere they hated, mainly because my father and grandfather have always loved their jobs and have such a passion for working. My grandfather died at age 84 and until he went into the hospital he was working six days a week. Even when he was sick I never ever heard him complain about work, he loved taking care of people and his patients. I was always impressed with his joy for life because he survived a very difficult time, the regime of batista. For those of you who don't know Batista was the dictator of Cuba before Fidel Castro, and he would kill people every night. He was so awful that the people of Cuba wanted Castro because they didnt think anyone could be worse than Batista, but that wasnt the case. My grandparents wanted their children out of Cuba, so they left for the states, but my grandfather was sent back because they thought he was a spy. For twenty plus years he was separated from his family in a place where people where shot every night. After 20+ years my grandmother got him over here from Mexico and he has been here ever since. He loved his family and my grandmother more than anything in this world. Most of our cuban relatives are in tampa, miami or orlando so when they had the opportunity to get together they had a wonderful time telling stories and singing, it was beautiful to watch. After my grandmother died, a part of him died too. It was comforting to know that when he left us he went to be with her. As I remember his birthday today I am overflowing with emotion and comforted that he gets to celebrate his birth with her, something he has not been able to do in four or five years. Happy Birthday Grandaddy, I love you, miss you, and strive to make your proud everyday.