Our sweet Poppy

Poppy and Maysie
Originally uploaded by Hendu Family

My grandfather, Randall Garland, passed away today. Poppy, as he was known to his great grandchildren, was always such a gentle soul. Up until his last day, he was most concerned for those around him. This picture was from last weekend, and our final visit with him. We named Maysie after him, so it was so special that we captured this moment. It was so sweet to see him with Maysie, knowing that she was just beginning her journey and he was so close to the end of his. My mom had sent me this story recently about how when people die, their headstones usually reads the year they were born, a dash, and then the year they died. The author of the story wanted to make sure that while it's just a dash between the years, it's SO MUCH MORE! The dash between his years is bursting with love! Poppy lived such a wonderful life, always caring so much about the people around him. Over 30 years ago, he and my grandmother bought a beat up cottage on Martha's Vineyard, and 32 years later, the memories are in the thousands, This was the first summer that they were unable to make it to the Vineyard, and it truly was not the same. We will honor his life and his memory in a service once all the family comes together. Oh, Poppy, thanks for being such a sweet and dear man.
Donations is his honor can be made to:
MVCMA Tabernacle Restoration Fund, P.O. Box 367, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557
http://www.mvcma.org/tab.htm