Cute, Pretty, and Beautiful

Dear Henry,

Cute. Pretty. Beautiful. I say those three words because as we are nearing the day you are born; your great grandfather would’ve been 74 this month. After his stroke, it was hard for him to speak from time to time so he would always say “I’m cute, pretty, and beautiful”.

There were different meanings for different circumstances or situations. If someone would get him upset, he would say the phrase more as a I don’t care or screw off tone. While other times with us kids he would say it to make us laugh. My goodness it got to the point where everyone in the family was saying it.

Your Great Gramps wasn’t just cute, pretty, or beautiful but he was tough, kind, and a hard worker. He was tough because of the childhood and era he was raised in which gave him what he needed to survive.

He was kind and would always either hold the door for you, had impeccable manners, or make you laugh when he recognized that you were having a bad day.

Great Gramps was a hard worker. Not just from being in the Navy but he had that mentality as a middle school kid learning how to pour cement with Mr. White. Or when he worked four jobs so Grammy didn’t have to…