Goodbye to a great Cearley

On Sunday morning, January 16, we got a call from my dad giving us the news that our Grandaddy Mervyn had passed away. It was a long and tough road for him over the past 4-5 years, and his heart just couldn't keep it up any longer. We think he passed in his sleep, in peace and pain-free.

The day before was a blessed day, one that was filled with joy and love. My dad and Jeff and Nancy and grandmother spent the entire day with grandad, at his home, watching football, talking, laughing and carrying on just like any normal day. We are so thankful that he was able to spend his last day like that, with family, truly doing what he wanted to be doing in his favorite place of all - home.

We all drove up there for the funeral - 8 hours in the car with the kids wasn't as bad as we thought it would be - and stayed a couple of days. It was hard, for sure, seeing grandad like that, the first time in a few years. I was really disappointed that I hadn't taken the boys up to see him because he'd been asking me ever since they were born. We had planned to go up there this weekend for my grandmother's birthday (Friday). He just didn't make it until then. That will be one of my BIG regrets for the rest of my life.

It's a lesson in not being selfish. I'd always thought that it was such a long trip and that the kids would be a nightmare in the car for that long, but in the grand scheme of things, it would have been nothing (and really was nothing).

It was so nice to see all the family. We hadn't seen everyone in so long. It's just not right to let that much time slip away without seeing each other. We will make it a point to see everyone on that side of the family that we can see as often as we can. Mike & Jenny and Jennifer & Jesse just live an hour away from us in Coppell, so there's no excuse.

Grandaddy was THE Cearley man that I knew all my life. There are so many things about him that I have in my bones and all I can do is thank him for what makes me up and do the best I can to do it all right. I love you, Grandaddy.