{FlAsHbAcK fRiDaY}

Alan and I were just talking about a Paw Paw story and I thought I needed to write it down. Here's the story:

Paw Paw lived with us when I was in high school. My Nanny passed away when I was 15 and my parents converted our garage into a nice room for my Dad's dad. The kicker was my bathroom ended up being close to that part of the house and I had to share with him. If you have ever shared a bathroom with an older gentleman...."ugh" is all that I will say!

Anyways, Paw Paw's greatest delight was watching for the mail to come. He watched from 8 am until 3 pm when the mail carrier usually came by our house. I guess you could call Paw Paw the "Mail Police" because he let everyone know when they came over and parked in front of the mailbox that, "Now, that mailman can't get to the mailbox. You're gonna have to move your car because that mailman can't get to the mailbox. They don't like that!" He said this over and over to all my newly driving friends that most of the time they would either look at me and then go move the car or say, "We are going to leave in just a minute" and he would just shake his head and continue watching for the mailman. Lots of times it was me who parked in front of the mailbox because I was always on the go and he would tell me the same story as I was rushing in and out of the house. I don't like to think that I ignored him, but........

So, one time, my friend Nicole came over and ended up spending the night. I feel the need to mention that a gaggle of friends would come over and after they would leave he would ask me, "Now was that Christi?" to which I would reply, "No, Paw Paw that was Stacey!" and he would say everytime, "Hmmm..I never can get those girls straight!" All of them called him Paw Paw too, he loved it!

So, Nicole crashed on our couch and was awoken at 7am by Paw Paw who was standing over her. I also need to mention that Paw Paw bought me my first car and was lacking in hearing and vision. Below is precisely what he said, and I should know because our whole family has quoted it many times over the years:

PP: "You better move that car. It's in front of the mailbox and that mailman can't get to the mail!"
Nicole: "Paw Paw, I don't have a car."
PP: "Well I know you do. I bought the damn thing for you!"

I think that's when Nicole came and woke me up laughing to tell me the story. I moved the car at 7am in preparation for the mailman to come and deliver the mail. Why? Because I loved my Paw Paw.

Every once in a blue moon I will drive by our old house and picture Paw Paw sitting on the porch waiting for that mailman to come, keeping a clear path for him. We had the luckiest mailman in McKinney!