GRANDPA STEWART
Maggi Norris 2-14-99In my lifetime, I have been privileged to know many people. Many of those people have touched my life in a way that left a lasting impression and helped determine who I now choose to be. Few have left an impression so deep as one gentle giant of a man known to the world as Marion Stewart, but known to me as Papau.
I grew up in a rural area of southeastern Indiana. My family lived in a house on my grandparents farm, until getting a small farm of our own. The countryside there is lovely. Gentle rolling hills, streams, lakes, trees, wild spearmint and wild animals thrive in abundance. The towns are all small. The people are all friendly. The influence is religious.
I remember many things about my grandfather from my childhood. He is tall, 6'5", and handsome. He has amazing blue eyes that could melt ice. He is gentle and thoughtful. He has a grace that is almost feline in motion. His hands are huge, but shaped beautifully, the hands of an artist. I remember watching him stand by the lake with the breeze blowing through his hair, thinking he had to be the most beautiful man that ever lived. His voice is deep and soft and soothing. I can't remember ever hearing him raise his voice in anger.
My grandfather had many hobbies and activities that fascinated me as a child. Many of them still do. He loves bullwhips. I remember him snapping the tips off willow limbs with a long braided leather whip. You could hear that whip crack from so far away. I was very impressed. I had my very own Indiana Jones. (Of course, that was before Indiana Jones ever showed up in theaters.) He spent hours shelling black walnuts for my grandmother to use for cakes. He used to sharpen knives with a grinding wheel. He made the best flapjacks I have ever eaten. He rode horses as if he was born to the saddle.
The biggest impressions I received came from his attitudes toward people and life. He is very religious and very straightforward in his beliefs. He believes in God and is proud of that. Everything he does in life shows that belief. He loves with deep quiet passion that has lasted his entire life. He loves his family. He loves his church. He loves his fish, big bass that he feeds and won't let anyone catch. He loves my grandmother so much I have always believed that is what romance should be. When she passed on a few years ago, I feared we would lose him soon, as well. He has stayed with us, to our joy.
After my grandmother died, he turned to writing to keep him company. He has written much and most is about his beliefs. Some of his works have been placed in the National Library of Congress. I would like to share some of his works with all, for I believe they are beautiful and show much of who my grandfather is. The fact that he only got a second grade education, makes these works even more miraculous. Thoughts of him will blaze through my heart for as long as I live. I believe he is someone special. Perhaps, in the sharing, he will touch other hearts as deeply as he has my own.
Use the links below to see more of my grandfather's poetry. Fuzzy Angel is a story I wrote when remembering my grandparents.
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