My Grandpa's Prayer: The Prayer For My Grandfather

This brings me to Thanksgiving 2013, when my whole family gathered around the table. Everyone at the table was still worried about my grandfather, and someone had to say the prayer. Up to that point we had not addressed my grandpa’s illness at all, but of course we all had thought about it. Then my mother asked me if I could say the prayer. At first, I was at a loss of words, as I could not find the right words to use to pray over my grandfather. I was scared of saying a prayer that would make the situation even scarier, and creating more stress for my grandpa. However, I did not want to downplay the situation because it was serious, and I did not want to make it seem like I did not care. I have an immense amount of respect for my grandpa,

I remember all of us, the young and the old, holding each other’s hand. We were united and strong, as the whole family would stand together and hope for the best. Even in that dark hour, it was beautiful to see all of us come together. My grandpa was the foundation and patriarch of that family, but it was time that we stayed positive for him. After the prayer, it dawned on me; there would be a time when my grandfather is not here anymore. The only thing that will remain is the memories, stories, and ideals he has inspired in me. He is a great man, who I deeply appreciate to have learned from in my life. A year later, I was very grateful to learn his cancer had gone away after a successful surgery. He went back to work and continued his usual routine. The whole situation made me want to treasure every single moment I have with my grandpa, and makes me appreciate all the time I spent with him during my younger years. This interview was something special, as it let me garner a better understanding of my grandfather. He is a good man, and the story of his life is absolutely worth learning

At the time, I thought these stories were crafted in some fantasy world out of thin air, but as I grow older I realized his stories held some truth. One of these stories has constantly remained upon my mind, and I am glad to have retouched upon the subject during the interview. One summer as I child, my cousin, my brother and I were gathered around the floor. We were about to go to sleep, and my grandpa would tell us these grand stories. Usually he would add us into the story as the main characters, and would tell craft an amazing tale that would set our young imaginations ablaze. However, this day was different, he was about to reveal a piece of reality. The year was around 2002, and the United States was filled with discrimination towards people from the Middle East. He was telling a story about surviving in the desert, and he mentioned people from the Middle East. It was at this point, his grandchildren, myself included, said that they were bad people. We had been convinced by the news and media to believe that all people who wore turbans were evil terrorists, who wanted to kill Americans. Our easily impressionable knew nothing else about these people from the Middle East. This is when our grandfather enlightened us that we should not be making fun of these people, because his mom was from the Middle East. I thought he was joking and wanted to make us laugh. I