First of all, I understand that my title sounds more like a 3rd grader's essay rather an almost 30 year old's blog post but deal with it. Second of all, please be advised that while some may say I have a way with words, sometimes matters of the heart are hard for me to express perfectly.
Let me begin by saying that my grandpa was an exceptional human being who taught me a lot. I'm going to start with saying that for the first time in my life I will admit I am spoiled. Now my siblings may have argued that I was spoiled forever since I'm the "baby" of the family but no that's not why I'm saying I was spoiled. I was spoiled by having Richard Borman as my grandpa. I am also spoiled because I was privileged enough to have met and spent time with all my grandparents and even some great-grandparents. But I digress...many people are reflecting on memories of him and so let me also, but not just memories but also feelings and life lessons that I've learned.
Looking back on my life so far, I would say prior to being a parent the happiest times of my life have been spent in Chippewa Falls ("ChipWa Falls") at my grandparents house. My parents got divorced when I was only 4 and so that in itself brought on a lot of challenges growing up; however, every summer from even before their divorce to up through high school, I would spend at least a week at my grandparents house sans parents. I don't know what it is about their house--probably the people in it, that make that place feel more home than home does. The amount of time I spent in Chippewa never seemed long enough. Even now, it is never long enough!
While growing up it was the little things that my grandpa would do that really made the difference there. He would take us to the park, swing with us, go for walks and can hunting with us. My grandparents let us play hide and seek all over their house and I only remember my grandpa yelling at us when we hid in their room. When we would visit, there was never a quiet moment but I don't recall him getting frustrated that his house was turned upside down or him ever seeming like we were an inconvenience. My grandparents allowed us to have sleepovers on their living room floor and stay up all hours of the night watching horror movies! Time at my grandparents house was special and always felt important--it was never dull or boring, partly because of cousins in the area but also because my grandparents made it special for us. My grandpa would buy cheese and make sure it was on hand for me---those that know me understand the importance of this little task. The first thing I would do, would be run in the house and ask Grandpa if he could get me some cheese, and by golly he would get right up and go get me some. Every morning Grandpa would bake up some donuts and have them on the kitchen table before anyone would get up. Okay I know what you're thinking, come on Veronica, you honestly don't think your Grandpa baked all those donuts, but let me tell you, for a time, I did! I thought he was magic---or a Superhero. I may have one point in time been what some may call gullible. Then after those delicious donuts, Grandpa would line up his assorted vitamins--like 20 or so and take them all in his hand and pop them in his mouth and swallow them in one fell swoop! To me, this was magic--or a Superhero. I can swallow pills but only 1 at a time and I would sit there AMAZED every time. He would just tell me, I put them in and they line themselves up and go down, 1 by 1. Grandpa taught me my "colors" and let me tell you I was pretty sure I knew what blue, pink, purple, orange and black were but after discussions with him, I may have felt a bit shaky on those basic skills. I try this test with my kids, but they aren't as much fun to do it with! :)
Grandpa's jokes were the best and while my favorite was probably the Sven and Oly "yump, frog, yump" joke. I also preferred the dam man who went to the dam to get some dam water but when he got to the dam the dam man told him he couldn't get any dam water because he forgot his dam bucket. Now I'm not entirely sure the whole joke but that is the jist of it! My husband, who never had the opportunity to meet his own grandpas, said Grandpa was his grandpa too and his favorite joke or rather first experience with him involved Grandpa telling him he was pregnant. This is how I envision that conversation going. Grandpa: "I'm pregnant, you know?" Chris: "oh yeah?" Grandpa: "Yep, and I know what I'm having." Chris: "Oh what?" Grandpa: "an elephant, 'cause I've seen it's trunk..." And that is how Chris Van Horn got initiated into the Borman family! :)
As I grew up, my relationship with grandpa changed or rather grew, I remember when I was in college, we sat at the kitchen table and talked politics for the first time. Lucky for me, I agree with him on that ground--but it was the first time that I felt like okay, maybe I'm not a kid anymore. I felt honored that he wanted to know my opinions on topics and that we would discuss them. He never once made me feel stupid or that what I was saying was unimportant.
Perhaps the most important thing I witnessed from my grandpa was his love. Love for his wife--my grandma or as I prefer to call her Nana. Love for his children, grandchildren and his great-grandchildren. My grandparents love for each other was/is amazing. They were married for nearly 61 years and I tell you, they loved each other probably just as much if not more than they did on their wedding day! My grandparents were the most beautiful couple I have ever seen. I'm not saying that they never had issues or that they never nit-picked but that was also what made their love real. Nana would do something that annoyed Grandpa or vice verse and then they'd "bicker" in their own way and then it'd be over! And he'd be back to doting on her. They were perfect for each other, they complemented each other perfectly. They had to, I mean after 8 children, if you don't fit perfectly together, I'm sure you'd have some issues. He provided for his family and my grandparents raised some TERRIFIC children. He'd have to be some kind of superhero in order to make it through raising those kids with any semblance of sanity left. (Don't worry, I think my Nana is a superhero too!)
My grandpa's outlook on life was phenomenal. No matter his condition he was always terrific. Seriously, even that last time I saw him, all he ever said was that he felt fine just that his legs were so weak. I mean, I'm historically a glass half full type of gal, but given his circumstances I don't know if I'd be saying everything is terrific; but again that's what makes him special. He may have been one of the most stubborn people I know---but he proved many a doctor wrong with his said stubbornness. Because of his ability to prove doctors wrong, I felt as though he was invincible---or a Superhero. My dad told me that my grandpa had said he planned on living til he was 100 since that was when his pension ran out, and if anyone was able to do that, I would have put money on my Grandpa. I never in a million years would have guessed that cancer would be his kryptonite. This is a man who suffered heart attacks and went through heart surgery and several other ailing health problems and seemed to bounce back. I was in denial I guess that this would do him in, as my cousin Kaci and I discussed in July, we were pretty used to the "crying wolf" with Grandpa--I was hoping that this was just another thing that he would bounce back from. Even when facing death, he said "well I've never done this before, and I'm always up for an adventure."
As I bring this post to a close, I have in no way summed up all what Grandpa meant to me and while I will miss my grandpa more than words could ever express, I am blessed to have been able to spend as much time with him as I did. As my uncle Joe has said, there is a little bit of Grandpa in all of us. While physically he is no longer with us, a little bit of him will go with us wherever we go. Everytime I hear someone say terrific, I will think of Grandpa. My dad's "voice" that can bring me to tears in .02 seconds reminds me of Grandpa's "mean voice" as my sister so aptly named it. I will definitely be telling people his jokes and Chris has already told people the pregnant with an elephant bit! Did I honestly think my grandpa would live forever, no...but I was hopeful! :) Do I believe he was a superhero? No, he was better than a Superhero because he was REAL. He was a REAL man who led a full life and left an amazing legacy which included: 8 children, 20 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren (to date). And I was privileged enough to call him Grandpa.
