sleep well, Granddaddy Steve

The last few times when I went to visit Granddaddy Steve (my dad's dad), he would drift off to sleep while I was talking to him. I might not be the best storyteller, but I usually don't put people to sleep. And I wasn't putting Granddaddy Steve to sleep either. He was just getting more and more sleepy as the years went on.
He still asked me about my job, about my mom, about my uncle, about any trips I had taken, and about any boys I was dating (he always wanted to know about that...and then he told me to stay out of trouble!). After all of that, we would talk about Grandmother Edna and how he missed her and how he was ready to see her again. And then he would drift off to sleep. Only to wake up so we could have the same conversation again.
He didn't always sleep during my visits but since this past summer he seemed to be more tired. No more afternoons spent watching old movies in the activity room. No more being "King of Carnival" at the make-shift Mardi Gras parades at Lambeth House. No more immediate recognition of family members - but we kept on showing up...on the off chance that he might remember. And so that he would feel loved and know that we had not forgotten him.
Well, this afternoon around 1:00 p.m. Granddaddy Steve went to see Grandmother Edna again. I hope he was at peace when he passed away. We'll try to keep his jokes and his good spirits alive. I will smile remembering how he would sing out loud to old show or war tunes. And I'll keep doing the crossword puzzle in his honor.
One last rest, Granddaddy Steve, remember that we love you and will miss you.