Thank You Pepere...

We said goodbye to my Pepere (french for "Grandpa") this weekend.  He was 90 years old, and what a life he lived.  Beautiful stories and memories were shared between friends, children, grandchildren, cousins and my Memere these last few days.  Pep was a business owner.  WWII Vet.  College Graduate.  Husband of 64 years. Father of five.  Grandfather of fourteen.  Great-Grandfather of five.  Lover of music.  Lover of science.  Warm & Kind.  Great Listener.

On Tuesday, the afternoon before he passed I spent an hour with him.  We listened to cajun music, I gave him a smile when his eyes wandered my way.  Ever the emotional man, his eyes were now too tired to fill with tears, though his brows would furrow and I could tell he was still with me, whenever I said "I love you, Pep..." 

I am inspired by the life he led.  His discipline, I remember being a little girl, watching him through his daily calistenic workouts of pushups and sit-ups.  His love of the arts- he and Memere saw many a Broadway show during the golden era of the American Musical, and I am now the proud owner of some of those classic albums-- also, he share this love of music with my mom who fell in love with music and certainly passed that love onto her own children. The importance of eductation- he went to college with the help of the GI bill, and was a lifelong learner, always keeping up with the latest science findings.  He was a family man and great friend... this was ever evident over the weekend as generations gathered to celebrate his life.

So good to slow down and remember Pepere's smiles, his tears of reminiscing and of love, and offer gratitude for his presence here on Earth.  

A few years ago, my mom gathered a few of his memories through Story Corp.  Check it out Here. _ _

Pepere, Andre Desaulniers & my mom, Denise Arsenault