Eulogy For My Grandfather - Speech or Presentation Example

Eulogy For My Grandfather I would most agree with the French writer, Victor Hugo who said: "There are fathers that do not love their children; there is no grandfather who does not adore his grandson" (Straub), not because I was not loved by my father rather due to the fact that I was adored my grandfather. He has always been a loving friend to me and he considered me his treasured possession and the feeling has always been mutual. Respect, trust and love have always been the glue that held us together (metaphor) most especially on my part because I looked up to this man I called my grandfather as the best friend I ever had who commanded my respect not through words that brought me fear but through the love and sincerity he has shown me through the years. My grandfather was born in the United States and was rightly named John for in him I have seen a gracious (behindthename.com) man not only to his children and grandchildren but to every person he encountered. When he was two years old, his parents brought him back to Poland where I came from and stayed there for the rest of his life touching lives in the small things he could do. As I was growing up, I witnessed him give away his personal possessions like clothes, shoes and even food to the needy saying they need them more than he does. Grandfather John was not wealthy but had a decent job delivering goods and foods from stores to hotels and restaurants which provided for the family's needs and food on the table. With this kind of job, he sometimes comes home with food provided by generous people who somehow knew his need or were just simply glad for his goodness and services. He always shared his blessings with the whole family and did not hide them away from any of us. Instead, he prioritized others before attending to his own need and this is what drew me even closer to him. When he was growing old, his affections to his family and most especially to me, have grown fonder and sweeter so that he reminds me of James Garfield who said, “If wrinkles must be written on our brows, let them not be written upon the heart (personification). The spirit should never grow old.” (Rosetti). Truly, he has shown this through his life and proven that growing old is not as dim and dismal as Matthew Arnold pictured in his poem "Growing Old" (Arnold). If to the poet growing old is golden days declined (Arnold), to my grandfather they are turning to diamonds (antithesis). If to the former it is to weep and feel the fullness of the past (Arnold), to the latter it is to brighten up and face what miracles the coming years would bring (antithesis, parallelism). If to one it is to spend long days in weary pain (Arnold), to the other it is to enjoy every moment of life is short (antithesis, parallelism). Grandfather always has been in good spirits, always happy and wanting to share his jokes with anyone who would listen to him, brightening their days and giving a piece of advice when needed. For me, he has always been a great help as a counselor in times when I needed to make decisions that seemed confusing or simply too great for me to consider. And as I look back to those special days I spent with him, what I remember most is the cup of tea he usually prepares for me which is very sweet yet I drank it all up to my grandfather’s contentment who said the tea will sweeten my heart (personification) and bring out good things from me. I guess it did and I will never forget how the tea tasted but more so, I will never forget the man whose simple ways are even sweeter, encouraging me to emulate him and be good to everyone I meet, serving them the cup of tea that I have been drinking to the fill of my heart (metaphor). When my grandfather turned fifty, his leg was amputated because of gangrene and two years later, his other leg was also removed. I expected him to change his attitude but his condition seemed to have never mattered to him because he has always been the cheerful and joyful grandfather I have always known. He never became bitter and never blamed anyone for his condition rather became an inspiration to us as he continued to help other people despite his disability. As David Lega said, "We need to accept our disabilities to see our abilities" (youtube). My grandfather may not have been as popular as the aforementioned medalist or as successful as he is in all his chosen careers, yet I consider him to be the best man I have ever met. Grandfather died at the age of seventy-two, when I was eighteen but before he rested, he made it a point to help my family to come to his birthplace and find our luck in the land where dreams come true. Living with him for eighteen years was a wonderful experience so I guess you could imagine the emptiness I feel inside when he died. I miss the days I saw him because every day has just been so wonderful being with him since there was no problem with us about distance. I have practically lived with my grandfather as he lived with my grandmother on the first floor of our house while my parents and I lived on the second floor. The absence of my grandfather is now strongly felt even through the passing of time but I am not saddened because of the fact that I know he has imprinted in my heart the best memories a grandson could ever have. I will always treasure those thoughts and I hope to be able to carry the torch my grandfather left for me to take, continuing to be the best person he has molded me to be and letting him live still, as I live the lessons he left me. Forgetting might not be possible especially because I do consider my grandfather my best friend and it sure hurts a lot to think that I will never see him again. However, living on is one of the lessons that he taught me that I must accept to show that I have truly learned something from him. Being in another country, I will still hold on to the possessions my grandfather passed on to me only I can extinguish. Considering the motions that I have been through, I now understand that to let my grandfather continue to live on, I would have to live the life that he taught me and be ever grateful for the blessings I received from him. Taking the place of my grandfather is not what I mean to do to let him continue existing in this world otherwise, I would be a failure. I know I can never take his place and can never be like the same man that he has shown me (simile) especially now that I am living in a different country, however, I could always bring to remembrance this great man and remember to be a good person as he has always been. I admire my grandfather so much and I did not like to embarrass him or bring discouragement to the family when he was alive. Although he is not with us anymore, I realize that showing respect and honor to a person does not end in death but continues as a person stands to be the living monument (metaphor) of a friend, mentor or parent, in my case, I am representing my grandfather. For this reason, I am standing as who I am filled with the sweetest tea from Poland, expressed through laughter, goodness and grace and I hope to hear from my grandfather even just in my dreams how proud he is with me as I am so proud of him, then I would feel the pounding (onomatopoeia) of his heart knowing that he lives in my memory forever. References Arnold, Matthew. Growing Old. Poemhunter.com. 2002. Web. July 20, 2011. . Behind the Name. The Etymology and History of First Names. n.d. Web. July 20, 2011. . Lega, David. Amazing Story- Disabled, World Champion and Speaker Shares Advice for a Successful Life. Youtube. 2009. Web. July 20, 2011. . Rosette, F. James A. Garfield: Facts and Resources About His Assassination. 2011. Web. July 20, 2011. < http://www.thefreeresource.com/james-a-garfield-facts-biography-quotes and-resources-about-his-assassination>. Straub, Catherine C. Forsaken and Betaken. Christianity Oasis Online. 2011. Web. July 20, 2011. . Read More