Heath Sharp-Harman
"Thank you all for coming for my grandfather's memorial service. This is the time we come together to, not only mourn the loss, but celebrate his life and the things we carry on to the future that he gave us. I will always remember the days growing up in the fall when grandpa would rake up the leaves next to the side of the house for bagging. Many times we, we, as in me and my cousin Ely, would wrestle and play in the pile of the leaves. I canâ??t tell you whether this upset my grandfather or not because he never scolded us for it. He just would rake them back up the next day without a word. Grandpa always had that way about him, that emotion of always being at play and jokingly happy. He would have his cheesy and silly jokes that made us laugh, but make others shake their heads. Not in a bad way, just in a way they would shake their head at a child for being silly because they didnâ??t know any better. Grandpa always, in my eyes, was a child at heart. I also have to mention my grandfather's generosity. When I left college about 15 years ago, my grandmother welcomed me into their home while I got back on my feet. I believe that Ely can contest to this as well. I canâ??t tell you for certain if this was from the generosity from my grandmother or grandfather or just because they both were, and are, just generous people, but I can tell you, besides simple love, this is one of the many things that kept them together for so many years. One day I hope To pass along and extend this same generosity to someone that was once given to me. I will, also, always remember when a major repair was needed to their house. Something about a water pipe separated under the foundation while living with them years ago. Grandpa of course was quick to find someone to help him fix the problem. Eventually, we all convinced him to hire a professional. This wasnâ??t because he was trying to find the cheap way out, it was because he just wanted to always be there to do things for himself. Thatâ??s just who my grandfather was. He took pride in his own work and never gave up on being able to fix things without the help of others. There are are just so many things I will remember about my grandpa Jeral. For one, I canâ??t help but mention the whisker kisses that were always so uncomfortable but he had so much enjoyment from them. Secretly, so did I. Grandpa taught me that you could fix anything with some phone wire and itâ??s never a bad thing to keep an extra 82 honda on hand for spare parts. It also makes a great playground for a little kid. Grandpa also let me play with a wood burner once, or maybe was it a soldering iron? I canâ??t remember. But, I did learn that some things are hot and can hurt you. That you should always be careful, but willing, to try something new and not afraid to get a little burned in the process. Sure, my parents would have been upset with him because he let me, a small child, play with such dangerous things. But he saw it a way of teaching me to do things on my own. Grandpa even showed me how to tap into a phone box to see if it was working with some old phone line tools he kept around from his days working for the phone company. I canâ??t deny that I had some fun listening to peopleâ??s conversations just because I could. Donâ??t worry Grandma, I only did it to the neighbors once or twice. So many people wonder what their purpose in this world is. So many wonder if anything they do will echo through time after they are gone. I canâ??t promise that your life will echo for 100s of years. But, I can promise that it has echoed on through your life and through those that you leave behind. Thank you grandpa for teaching me all that you have. I will carry along with me so much I have learned from you and promise to pass along what you have given to us all. Love, hard work, compassion, and to never take anything too seriously."