Papa

Gwendolyn Anne Davies

"He Is Not Dead"

I cannot say, and I will not say
That he is dead. He is just away.
With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand,
He has wandered into an unknown land
And left us dreaming how very fair
It needs must be, since he lingers there.
And you—oh you, who the wildest yearn
For an old-time step, and the glad return,
Think of him faring on, as dear
In the love of There as the love of Here.
Think of him still as the same. I say,
He is not dead—he is just away.
― James Whitcomb Riley

Papa

On May 24, 2014 I lost my Grandfather. I lost him, in that he is no longer here on this Earth. In the twelve months preceding that day, I found him here, next to me and really got to know him. As I sat beside him in hospitals and took him out for his favorite meal or a picnic in the park, I got to share something special with an amazing man I had never really known before. Through words, which seem necessary, and photographs, which seem natural to me, this project is my way of sharing the struggles and rewards of that year and remembering a man that should never be forgotten.