Grandaddy

As an infant my paternal grandfather, Casey Organ, often kept me while my parents worked. Twenty years older than my grandmother, he was already retired by the time I was born. Although my grandfather passed away when I was seventeen, I often still dream about him. My grandfather would often tease my sisters and I by asking us if we'd seen "the horses and/or cows" (that were running up and down the hallway). When I was nine-years-old I was hospitalized for one week in Madisonville, KY for pneumonia and strep throat. Although we lived in Calhoun, KY at the time (a good one hour drive away) we had to travel to Madisonville due to my father's insurance coverage at the time. It's only as an adult I have come to fully realize the sacrifice my grandfather made while I was hospitalized. Because my mother had my two younger sisters to care for she had to go home each evening (I wasn't scared to spend the night by myself, however, I was scared of waking up each morning in the hospital alone). Knowing that I didn't want to wake up alone, my grandfather would get up at 5 A.M. each morning and make the hour long drive to ensure I wasn't alone when I woke up. My granddaddy kept me company during those long, boring hospitalized days. I vividly recall playing a game in which we bet against each other on how long it would be before the I.V. ran out and the nurse would have to be paged. I miss you all the time granddaddy...