In memory of Papa Dean

Ask anyone I know and they will tell you I love making sandwiches. Whether its a toasty tuna with red onion and lettuce, a grilled roast beef with a yummy green chili sauce, or a simple "The works" deli sandwich with everything down to the last pepperoccini, I love sandwiches. Maybe it's the inner need to feed (others) or just the fact that I enjoy making people happy. Where does this come from? Well, today as I was making lunch for the girls and myself, this same question came to mind.  Here is what I decided.

A sandwich to me isn't something that consists of simply bread, mayo, mustard, meat and cheese. As you can see from the photo above a sandwich involves so much more, and I don't mean just ingredients.  Now I agree, everyone has differing tastes. And understandably so. Just think of all the different types of cheeses, meats, lettuce and sauces. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. However, when I think of a sandwich, the first thing that comes to mind is my Papa Dean. 

For those of you who didn't know Papa Dean, let me tell you a little bit about him. My Papa Dean was a very handsome man. He was tall, slender and had a full head of beautiful white hair. His fingers were long and skinny and I loved watching them as he would write, build, create and play with all of his grandchildren. He was an amazing writer - or should I say poet. Some of his poems included things like "Hi Ho The Dillyhoppers Comin".  Let me share a little:

Hi ho the Dillyhoppers comin.

I know cause rumblesniffer said.

He's got poppers

And daffadilly hoppers

Growing from the temples of his head.

Sound like someone else you know? Dr. Suess, maybe? All of his poems were amazing. And boy could he sing - especially How great Thou art. He sang it so beautifully, knowing when to take a breath, when to sing louder or softer it was almost as if he had written it himself.  And traveling just wouldn't have been the same without the great songs he taught us like, Old Mr. Smith, Toodle-lumba lumba and The Old Mill Stream. Nobody could harmonize like him and Grandma Glory.  And boy did he love his family. You could tell by the family reunions that he was in charge of. There was singing, and laughing and story telling and lots and lots of hugging. We knew he loved us because he showed us. By his words and actions. And I suppose that is why I love making those sandwiches so much. You see he is the one that taught me. And it wasn't necessarily that he put on all those great fixins. It was the fact that he let me do it with him. That I was important enough to him that he would take the time and show me how to do something that he loved doing. Quite simply put, he loved serving others. I love you, Papa Dean.

Thought of the day: Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.