Dear Grandpa Gunn,

I last saw you 12 years ago, when I was 2. You had passed away shortly after, due to colon cancer.

Unfortunately, I was much too young to remember our brief time together then. You had written a letter to me in 1996, but I was too young to appreciate it. Now I am able to pen down my reply 12 years on, hoping to reconnect with you in one way.

I was told that we were extremely close. The first word I uttered was not “Mama” or “Papa” but “Grandpa”. I’m sure you must have been exuberant about that! To have the honor of being the first to be called by your then only grandchild and granddaughter must have been a proud moment for you! I can only imagine what a close and special relationship we shared!

There are innumerable photographs of you at home in the albums. Your wedding, birthday and childhood photos not only conjure up images of what you looked like, but also helped me imagine what sort of person you were. As I look at your wedding photos, I feel a tinge of pride, as you and Grandma were so handsome and pretty. Little wonder Grandma fell for you!

But you didn’t just possess good looks, I heard that you were hardworking, having strived to provide a comfortable home for your family. I am pleased to say that I have inherited that one virtue of yours! You were the director of an airplane company – what an exciting job! Did you enjoy it? Another trait I am told to have inherited is your inherent sense of humor. I just love to have a good laugh! Height-wise, I am also tall, just as you were too. We also share a love for reading good literature, especially in the mystery genre. What other sort of books did you like to read, Grandpa?

I am grateful that you wrote me a letter before you passed away. You must have foretold a time where I would be old enough to ask all about you. Well then you guessed right; my mother had passed me your letter recently when I started asking about you. Or was it the last way for you to communicate with your granddaughter? Either way, I am glad to have at least a keepsake from you, Grandpa. It is laminated and kept in a safe place.

You were gifted with woodwork, and your legacy still lives on as the wooden puzzles and building blocks you lovingly and creatively carved into animal shapes, vividly painted colors, still lies with me. I played with it when I was younger; now it stands proud on display on the shelf.

It’s too bad we didn’t have the opportunity to spend more time with each other. The thought of the things we could have done, the places we could have been to always invoke a sense of loss in me.

Your loving granddaughter,
Rachel