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A Tribute To My Papa: Hero, Best Friend, Grandfather
Temple Israel: Manchester, NH
I lost my best friend in the world on Thursday night. I lost the man who has been there for me through every stage of my life. Through every happy moment…through every sad moment…every celebration…and every mourning. I lost a man who was there for me any day, anytime, anywhere, for any reason…and I don’t know how I will ever go on without someone like that in my life.
Not many words can describe the type of admiration I have for my papa. He was the best friend I have ever had, but more than that, he is, and always will be my biggest fan and supporter. He is, and will always be, the person who I respect, and admire the most in my life. In other words he is my HERO. The values and ethics he has given me are more valuable than any words can say. Put simply, I am the luckiest grandson alive to have ever had the chance to have a papa like Daniel Myers. I do not know what I would have ever done without his guidance and support in my life.
The last several years since my grandma past away were tough for him. In fact, I often feel a piece of him died the day she past away. However, those are not the times I want to talk about. I want to remember my papa the way he was, and remember all the good times we had together and all the incredible things he taught me along the way. Those are the things I want to remember and those are the things I will remember forever.
I am young, and I have a pretty good memory, and that makes me feel good because I can remember many of the things my papa and I did together. Whether it be the nights at the batting cage, the afternoons at the driving range hitting a bucket of balls, or the hours we spent playing miniature golf together, I remember it all. There are a couple of things that just stand out in my head when I think about my papa, and the things we did together. I remember moving up to NH when I was very young, and I remember wanting a go-kart more than anything. So my papa made sure I had a go-kart, because he knew it would put a smile on my face. But he didn’t just go out and buy one for me. Instead, we built it together. We scoured all around the city, looking for just the right parts that, when put together, would become my perfect go-kart. We found all the parts, and together we built a go-kart. In the end it wasn’t much to look at but it worked and it worked well. Building that go-kart it is something I will never be able to forget, because we did it together.
There were also the countless hours my papa spent playing catch with me in the backyard, prepping me for my big little league game, or getting me ready for spring tryouts. If the weather was too cold, or if he was too tired, we used to play right in the den, throwing the ball back and forth, from one end of the room to the other. I am pretty sure my Grandma used to hate that. She always thought we would break something…but I don’t think we ever did. Of all the things I will miss, playing catch with my papa will be the one I miss the most, because those where some of our best times we ever spent together.My papa achieved a great deal in his life. That makes me very proud. Every time I walk into his house, I see the plaques and awards from the temple and from work, and it makes me as proud as a grandson can be to know that so many people recognized what a great man my papa was. I will never forget when the temple named him person of the year. I remember all the people whom where there applauding my papa as he accepted the award, and I was so proud to have him as my papa. Or when his office name him salesman of the year on numerous occasions, it just made me so proud to say that Daniel Myers is my grandfather.
My papa was a fighter as well. Some people would say he was stubborn, but I prefer to call him a fighter. He fought for what he believed, and fought for what he wanted. My papa spent many a day in hospital beds, and from what I understand, he spent a lot of time defying odds. My mother often reminds me that she was told my papa was going to die when she was 4 years old. They were wrong. They were wrong because my papa was a fighter, and fighters defy odds. Throughout his life, he went through one illness after another, Yet he never complained. He just marched on…because he was a fighter. They told him to take it easy, and he never did. He just fought. When the odds were against him, he fought harder. But even the best fighter in the world eventually loses, however I can say my papa gave living all he had, and for that I am grateful, because by doing so I had a chance to get to know him. That was who my papa was, and fighting odds was all he knew.
My papa was also a generous man. I think most people here today know how generous he was with his advice, even when it was unsolicited, and how willing he was to help anyone who asked for his help and guidance. In fact, just in the last day or two since he past away, I have begun to REALLY understand how generous he was. As I have been going through old cards and letters that he stuffed away in his basement, I have seen how many lives his generosity touched. And what makes me even prouder is that his generosity was not just through monetary gifts, it was also through the donation of his time and effort. In fact, the temple we are in today is here in part because of my grandfather’s donation of time, effort and money. It will stand in eternity as memorial to his efforts in life. I will probably never know the full extent of his generosity, or how many lives he has really touched. But what I do know is that every time I think about my papa, I beam with pride knowing that my grandfather’s generosity made a difference in so many peoples lives.
As I said, my papa was a man who would do anything for anybody, especially my mom and I. He made sure that we always had what we needed, and always had access to the things that we wanted. The one thing I have never been able to say thank you enough for is the help my grandfather provided when I wanted to go to college. He always told me that if I had good grades and I wanted to go to college, he would find a way to make sure I went, no matter what it took. In the end, I did get into college, and my grandpa was true to his word and made sure I was able to go. For that, I will always be grateful. In my eyes it was the most generous gift any person has ever given me. He never made me feel bad about it, in fact I cannot remember ever even asking him to do it. He just volunteered, because seeing me succeed in life was one of the things he wanted most, and I hope and pray that I will never disappoint him. My papa gave me the gift of education and the chance to forge my own path, and follow my dreams. I sure hope I made him proud the day I walked up and received my college diploma, because when I did that, it wasn’t only for me, it was for him as well. I hope he knows that. No words will ever be able to thank him for the opportunities he has given me, but I will try anyhow. Thank you papa for giving me a chance.
I will miss my papa, but at least I know he is not suffering anymore. I will miss being able to ask him questions and have him give me advice. I have so many things that I wish I would have asked him while he was here, but deep down I know that he has provided me with the knowledge, the morals, and the decision making abilities that are needed to make those decision’s on my own. I am sad he will not be here for my wedding, or see me get my first big promotion, or meet his great-grandchildren, but I will be happy because he was here for so many other important things in my life. It will be hard without him here, but I know that my papa will be watching down on me with my grandma right next to him, and they will be proud, because I will give them EVERY reason to be proud of me. And My papa will turn to my grandma and say "Gladys, We did a good job" and my Grandma will turn to my papa and say "Yes, we did Danny, we did do a good job, but I don’t think Eric is eating enough, he is looking a little skinny!"
Goodbye Papa…take care of yourself wherever your next journey takes you and keep making me proud, and I will promise to do the same. I LOVE YOU!