A Letter To My Grandad Allan On His Birthday - Thursday Thoughts
First of all, I want to say Happy 73rd Birthday to you. I wish we could go for a Toby Carvery as you would always choose for your birthday meal. We would always laugh at how you didn’t have enough room for crumble and custard but always managed to find some.
I always wish you could see me now, for a lot has changed in the past 18 months. I have moved out; you would be proud to know I got into University after all! I didn’t even need to get the grades I did because I got an unconditional offer anyway. I think about the times I would sit with you and we would talk about me going to University, and how you can remember taking Dad – typical boys going to University open days because the girl on the front of the prospectus looked fit. You told me that funny story how you and Dad thought you saw a car on the motorway that was driving itself and was confused the whole drive home. I’m studying Public Relations Grandad – even though you never quite understood what it was, I promise you it is the perfect degree for me. My first year is already over but I’m moving into a house next year. I wish you were here so you could come and fit millions of house alarms into my house to make me feel safe like I know you would.
I never got to celebrate my A level results with you or my 18th birthday, but I know for a fact you would have laughed your head off at how drunk I got and you never failed to be so shocked at the amount I could drink without being on the floor because ‘you couldn’t drink that much in your day’.
Dad is becoming more and more like you every single day. It’s so funny to watch. It’s like you’re living inside of him. I am becoming more and more like Auntie Jo every day too.
Cam is absolutely smashing it with his swimming still. I remember when we went to watch him in a club gala and you were being so silly predicting winners of races and changing your mind half way through when you knew you was going to lose. He’s proper grown up now – can you believe he is about to turn 17 and get behind the wheel? He could have taken you out in your own Jaguar before long.
Koby is basically never in England and is always high up in the mountains across the world snowboarding away as we all best know him. He’s going to go far, I can totally see him winning gold in the winter Olympics one day and you would be so proud!
Nan says Diesel, luckily for her, is turning into me. I can’t decide if that’s a good or bad thing but Nan thinks it’s funny. I still go and watch Dee in all of her shows, and she is even doing singing lessons now and is proper growing up – can’t believe she is now a teenager too! You’ve missed the new addition to the ‘Cook’ side of the family; their new dog Lottie. She gave Misty quite the shock by being such an excitable puppy but one year later and they’re basically best mates. Dee hasn’t given up playing her piano either. In the new extension the piano has pride of place and Lottie even sings as Diesel plays – I think they should go on Britain’s Got Talent, don’t you?
I find it really hard that I can’t tell you about all the future things we will all do but I know you are watching us. I find it hard that you will never get to know Jacob. He only met you twice at family events, so we never got time the four of us, me, you, Jacob and Nan, for him to get to know you. He laughs at Dad’s sense of humour all the time so he would absolutely love yours. I tell him about you all the time, but I can’t quite put everything into words and it’s something he will never get to understand but he says he knows how amazing you were.
I always think about how proud you would be if you could see how grown up we all are. The boys are so tall now, much taller than me and Dee has got my old teenager attitude. I will be sure to go on and tell my kids and grandkids that I had the best Grandad ever who I travelled across America with (finding 'bite/bike' cream - if you know, you know) and who came to watch all my shows, sponsored me in my competition and loved me like you did.
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Possibly the funniest memory ever - putting hot chocolate, or so it seemed, into our car in America.
I am missing you and I always will.
Happy Birthday.
Love you, from Olivia xxx
