Papa

My mom's father died when she was twenty-one, I never knew him. When he died, an acquaintance named Robert Simmons took it upon himself to see that she got through college, married the right man, and was there for her four children being born, from the moment of our births he was known as Papa. He called us (the four children) his grand babies, he showed us love and kindness, and tried his very best to show us the importance of elegance and equality. Papa went on to spend every Christmas, Thanksgiving and sometimes New Year's day with us, up until the last years, our family went in different directions, and his biological family was requesting his presence at their various domains.
Papa was a very rich man during his life, both in finances and emotion, he was never short on dishing out love. Every penny that Papa earned, from his early years as a professor at the UW Madison teaching languages and literature, to the last 30 or 40 years (I'm not quite sure the exact #) running his own business, "1040 Tax" out of his office/home on Monroe street in Madison, he never left an extra cent for himself. Papa donated any extra money he had to various organizations that he believed were acting in the best interest of the people/ideals that he agreed with. He Sorted and filed taxes for his clients on a typewriter (to the current time period), no matter their means. Papa Often would send articles regarding topics of his interest to his loved ones, articles of foreign affairs and current government politics. Most of the recipients of these articles were more than likely not going to read them, it was all the same to Papa though, as long as he himself made the effort.
Papa had four biological children that my siblings and I met for the first time at his memorial service the Saturday after Thanksgiving, they are all older than my Brother, sisters and I, with children of their own. My mother and father were unable to make it. (they loved him dearly) But I was able to see Papa, outside of Papa, outside of how we knew him, and I got a chance to see what his children learned and attributed to his influence in their lives, I also got to see how his grandchildren remembered him. To tell the truth, it was not as I expected.
I remember Papa full of love and boat loads of useless information and when the time called for it discordant guidance. All of those things were equally recollected by every party present, but some things were just very different. I remember him as a giving poor man, of course I know now that he was rich and simply discarded any extra money to charities that would benefit more than he, Papa himself benefited by giving, living hand to mouth, selflessly, was his exemplary choice. The main difference I saw and felt on Saturday at the memorial service was the lack of knowledge I had acquired about Papa's giving nature, I always just accepted, and didn't question it. To me, that was was just the way he was, he was our Papa of course he should act this way, but the more I think about it, the more I know why I didn't see it. Papa directed his attention and divided it exactly as he should have, what we were lacking in our home was money and structure. Every time Papa came in, he reinforced those values in a caring way as to not upset us children. Now that I understand the voids he filled in my family, I appreciate him even more, and I pray to have a giving heart and attitude the rest of my life.

I love you Papa and I miss you already.