poppy’s beach
my grandfather died almost 17 years ago (this coming september). i was 11 years old… my brother was 7. my parents were devastated. our hearts were shattered. poppy died of a massive heart attack while playing golf with my gramma in lake tahoe. the med examiners said the heart attack hit so hard that he was gone before he even hit the ground.
what a way to go, right?
i mean, now i can look back with 17 years of perspective and say that… what a way to go. and honestly, of all the ways a person can die, that’s pretty remarkable. while i think that, i also think about the strength and bravery my gramma was called to summon within herself to perform CPR on her husband (who was 60 years old) until EMS arrived, hoping, praying, wishing that this wasn’t it.
the magoo’s middle name, ray, comes from poppy. our precious jackson ray… his first name honors paul’s grandpa jack, still alive, though ailing and in need of much healing after a stroke… jackson’s middle name honors my poppy whose middle name was raymond.
first beach experience. attire included pjs and crocs.
being at poppy’s beach (indian rocks beach, florida) always brings a smile to my face. the smell… the sand… the ocean… and it’s not just like any other florida beach. indian rocks is where poppy taught me how to fish… how to drive a boat… and how to wash my hair in an outdoor shower using a bar of soap instead of shampoo.
the pizza shop we frequent when we’re here knows us all by name… nick shut down his shop on the day of poppy’s funeral. never before had it been closed like that, not even for a holiday. i’ll never forget seeing him sobbing for the loss of his friend.
and so being here, this week, is amazing for me… because life has truly come full-circle. my 3 cousins arrived, 1 of whom has a 17 month old little boy who is spectacular and will make great friends with jackson in the days ahead.
hi poppy... i'm here!
there is joy here at poppy’s beach. pure joy. there are incredible memories… hysterical stories… and monumental firsts…
jackson's first seashell (no, he didn't try to eat it).
i feel safe here. i feel at home here. i feel loved here. and now i’m here with my own family… and it is awesome.
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Wait. 17 years ago, you were 11? By my calculations, that makes you 81 yrs old. Doesn’t make sense. Anyway… I know how you feel. My poppy died the same way when I was 15. He was shooting pool at the time. I always thought that was badass. I even have his pool stick. Grandparents rock. Soon enough, we’ll be there as well. Great post Nic!
what a beautiful post. it gave me goosebumps. *shiver*
i’m so glad you are having such an amazing time. enjoy it, and we’ll be waiting for you upon your return.
(((hugs))) (and one for little jackson, too!)
What a beautiful post. I had a Poppy, too – and a beach that holds many fond memories of him. Such sweetness.
Wow . . . this post moved me. I lost my mom 7 years when she was only 45. I wish I could say “what a way to go” for her . . . but that is not the case. However, this post reminded me of all the amazing things that I will never forget about her. Most importantly it made me think of my little nieces and nephews who knew and loved her. I have 2 older half brothers who, at the time of her passing, had 5 kids between them (now we have 8!). Anyway, the oldest was 10 and the youngest was 2. They STILL talk about her with such awh and love and respect. This story of yours makes me so very happy to realize that they too will not forget their “gingin”. They will grow to have families of their own and tell them about her. Thank you, Nic. You have sincerely brought amazing joy to my day for reminding me of that. Enjoy your trip! And remember to always tell Jackson Ray how special that middle name of his really is.
Nic, that was just beautiful. Thank you for sharing Poppy’s Beach with us.
Hey, nice post, really well written. You should post more about this.
What a beautiful story. Life does circle around and it’s a great gift to have the little ones remind us of the circle.
I love Jackson’s outfit.
That is so wonderful, to have those memories and the family history. Great pictures, too.
Such a beautiful post! (tear)
We have a Poppy, too! My dad goes by Poppy ever since my daughter, his first grandbaby, was born. Happy beaching and I hope you’re making some awesome family memories!
How wonderful it must be to go somewhere that holds so many memories, and have to a grandfather that was so special to people. I loved the shell in the hand pic, too!
In tears thinks for sharing!
What a wonderful story. It is such a special moment when you get to share your life, family and memories with your own kids. I’ll bet Poppy’s having a blast with your little one.