I Never Could Get Out of the Scissor Hold

Today I will write a blog not to inform everyone about a new experience in Turkey but to honor a man who meant so much to me and my family. My Grandpa D was a loving, caring strong man who set a high standard to live up to when it comes to being a "family man." He lost his battle to cancer this week and our world is left without Grandpa's hugs and smiles.

Of course we will all miss those hugs and smiles but there are plenty of things Grandpa left us with to remember him by. First and foremost Grandpa taught us that game night, while occasionally leading to hurt feelings, was more than just killing time. Whether it was Monopoly or Farkle, black jack or canasta, scrabble or golf, we built our characters in those games and Grandpa was always there to help guide us, unless we were showing him our cards at which point he would look and choose accordingly.

I will also remember the bike rides we would take to the beach. To this day I love riding bikes and I often remember the feeling of riding through the narrow tunnel near Hueneme Beach, a little fear that someone might be there and the joy of getting to the spot where we could just watch the ducks, where cousins later would take bread for feeding. Then we would get to the pier where we would have a hot drink and rest before making the trip home. While I don't remember having great discussions about important topics in those times I do know that spending that time with Grandpa was important. I looked forward to those trips, and I still remember them fondly.

My last memory for today is of the wrestling matches that the cousins and I would have with Grandpa in his younger days. Of course it would always happen in the evenings while we were all in the living room watching Tv. Grandpa would get down on the floor with us amidst the constant reminders of "Watch out for the Coffee Table". None of us cousins were impervious to the infamous "Scissors Hold." A hold seemingly so simple to avoid yet it never failed to keep us trapped and calling for mercy. Perhaps as I have witnessed children do, we intentionally put ourselves in harms way because we liked the challenge and we liked the game. I know even to this day the scissor move lives on during wrestling matches and tickle fights. Grandpa's move was an effective one.

If you look at what a typical family structure is in America today the legacy of the "typical American family" has been replaced by divorce, distance and disputes. The Demuth family has remained a strong unit through all of these year, no doubt a testament to the loving leadership of Grandma and Grandpa D. I will miss Grandpa's hugs and strong competitive spirit, but I know "Gene-o" will continue to be a part of game nights, bike rides, tickle fights and most of all my family.