Happy Birthday Poppy

May 3, 2016 12:00 am

Today is my poppy's birthday, my beautiful poppy gets to celebrate his special day with Jesus, I can't even be mad at him for ditching me because how can you be mad at a person for going home to Jesus.
I had experienced loss, my grandma had died a couple years before him, but a loss that extreme, I had never had to feel before.  I remember when he was sick, I hardly went to go visit him because I didn't believe that he could or that he would die.  Even standing at my job, having my boss tell me I had to leave to go to the hospital I didn't want to go because I didn't want to miss my first soccer game.  I thought he was invincible, because I could not imagine a life where he wasn't in it.

He wasn't just my Grandpa, he wore the hat of role model, spiritual leader, friend, but more than that, he was the dad that I never got to have.

I know that everyone always says that there loved ones are always the best of the best, but this man truly was the greatest christ like man I have ever known.
I am missing him more than I ever have recently, and one of my biggest regrets was not telling him how much he meant to me when I had the chance.  So as I do when I don't have the words to speak, I write.

Dear Poppy,
    Happy Birthday!! I hope you still get to celebrate birthday's in heaven, but if not I'm celebrating for you, so don't worry.
    When you died I was 15, and you've missed a lot of stuff since you went home to Jesus.
I became a soldier.
I was diagnosed with Depression.
I graduated high school.
I got into McMaster, and then I actually went to McMaster.
I joined the band.
I joined songsters,
I went to camp, and met my lifetime friends.
I've built my own relationship with Christ.
I've dated.
I've had my heart broken.
Our church moved.
I've made new friends that you really would've loved.
I put the timbrel you bought me to good use.
And goodness, there has just been so many sad, and happy times that I wish you could've been here for.
I just want you to know that all of these things that have happened to me since you left, I wouldn't have been able to get through without you.

The thing I'm most proud of, the thing I want to thank you the most for, is Jesus.  Thank you for introducing me to the most beautiful God.  Thank you for being an example of what being a God Honouring human being looks like.  Thank you for showing me how to love, how to read my bible, how to pray, how to show God to others.  You're still teaching me things today, and you're not even in here (that's pretty impressive).

I really wish you could be here, I wish I could see you, just one more time, to say all of this stuff to you in person, but I guess this just has to do.

I hope you have the most perfect day.
Love Always,
Chelsea

I shall end this note in probably the most cliche way I could.  Tell the people that you love, that you love them.  Tell the people in your life how much they mean to you.  Tell your people that you care, tell your people that they are appreciated, hug your people, laugh with your people, spend time with your people.  Don't hold feelings back, don't hold that love back, just share it.

Eat a cupcake in honour of Poppy's birthday today!! (He would want that haha)