Godspeed Poppy

"Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them." -Psalm 139:16 NASB

35,274.  That's the number of days the Good Lord ordained for Poppy.  He was 96 years old when he breathed his final breath tonight.  Just like that his time was finished.  I heard his very last breath escape his body with a quiet sigh.  He was exhausted.  He was ready. 

"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." - James 4:14 NASB

A vapor.  I watched Poppy's "vapor" vanish tonight.  He's done.  He's gone.  He's not going to be here for another birthday party.  He's not going to be at the next family dinner.  His time is finished.  But what he leaves behind will never vanish.  So many memories of Poppy will live on in those of us that love him. Memories of shortcuts gone "longcuts".  Memories of tires kicked and oil checked.  Memories of shooting the moon (most of which were failed attempts).  Memories of reneging on "accident".  Memories of Mexican Trains so long they could stretch the railways from New York to San Francisco.  Memories of a great grandpa with his great grandbabies.  The memories go on and on.  You'll have that after living 96 years.  

96 years.  Poppy could tell me stories from his childhood that involved horse and buggy's.  Change probably doesn't even begin to touch the magnitude of how different the world was from the time Poppy was born to the time that he breathed his last breath.  He was a living history book.  What a blessing it was to know this man.  To be his granddaughter.  To have him at all of my big life moments.  To see his marriage.  To see him love Bubby the way God intended a husband to love a wife.  He spent more of his life by her side than not.  

He's been without the person that knew him best, his other half, his everything, his Margie, for 6 years.  I hope she was waiting for him tonight.  I hope they are together right now. 

Poppy, I pray that tonight you heard the most amazing words that could ever be spoken, "Well done my good and faithful servant."  Thank you for the memories and the unwavering love that you've instilled in the awesome family that you and Bubby created.  I will miss you Poppy!  Rest easy.