First and foremost, let’s be clear. I am in marketing. I am in brand development. I am a writer. I am “technically” an engineer (no pun intended.) I am more generally, a marketer. With all of that being said, the following should be fairly obvious – I am not a doctor.

Ok. Now I can continue.

My grandfather loved bacon. He loved it especially with eggs. Fried eggs. He liked other kinds of high salt, high cholesterol and generally “bad for you” foods. There is a particularly good story that will clearly articulate how much he liked bacon and bad-for-you type of foods.

One time, in a winter so very long ago, I went skiing with my boyfriend/fiance (quite possibly we were engaged) and my family (my parents, my grandparents, aunt/uncle?? and my younger siblings) along with our roommate with his girl friend/fiance/wife. Let’s just say it was a huge crowd.

On that weekend, my grandmother made breakfast in their condo and invited us to join them. She offered us pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, Canadian bacon, Taylor Ham and sausage. The response was shock and awe from our (very good) friends. 4 kinds of breakfast meats??? You can’t do that!!

We laughed. It was kind of funny, but not entirely. My grandfather had already had multiple (as in quadruple) bypass surgery not so very long prior to that and maybe, just maybe he wasn’t enjoying all four kinds of breakfast proteins, he was likely the reason she had made such a variety.

Well. Like I said earlier. I am not a doctor, but it has been no less than 20 years and probably more like 25 years since that weekend and we have had my grandfather here with us to enjoy his company, his stories, his kisses, his hugs, his smiles, his support and his love until now. He was 90 just a few months ago and we wish we could have had him with us for another 20 to 25 years – but we didn’t lose him to bacon, or sausage, or Canadian bacon or even Taylor Ham… he was just ready to join his wife. I like the way Melissa said it “best” Ralph + Helen. Together.

Tomorrow, we get to say good-bye the formal way. So glad that I was able to say good-bye in a proper way 2 weeks ago.

~ With all my love… Dawn aka Hat Girl