The news of your passing came like a swift kick in the gut.

You were just here last weekend. You were goofing around with the kids. You took your oldest grandchild to the bookstore.

I don't think she will ever enter a bookstore and not think of you.

I will miss many things about you, like how you always said, "and then you said."

I will miss the way you let my kids just climb all over you and how you would tease them that they were messing up your hair.

I will miss the way you always teased me about having stuff all over my kitchen island.

I have known you for more than half my life. We've shared weddings, graduations and, lately, far too many funerals.

We've shared birthday dinners and Christmases.

We've even shared an occasional dance... Although that was very occasional.

I will miss talking about conspiracy theories and football with you, even though I'm pretty sure I had the upper hand.

I will even miss the way you never wanted to make a decision about where to have dinner.

We are all trying to find comfort in knowing that one day our paths will cross again.

Until then...