Dear Rosie & Buddy

Dear Rosie & Buddy,

Your Great Grandpa Pease loved you.

Nothing made him light up more than when he saw the two of you running around his and gram's apartment, playing and sometimes fighting, too.

He fed both of you bottles when you were babies. He held you close, traced your little faces and hands with his fingers, and talked to you. As you got older and started walking and getting into things, he would lovingly say: "You little cuss!" and talk baby language like no one else could. Great grandpa made you both smile and laugh a lot.

He was well known for saying: "I need a kiss" in a very exaggerated, sad-sounding way, and both of you would be quick to run over to oblige. He often said that you two were the "best medicine in existence", and as I watched you both interact with him, I knew it was true.

The last three times you saw great gramp remain vivid in my mind. I told you both it was time to go, and Buddy, you ran over to Rosie to give her Elmo sweatshirt. Great gramp got such a kick out of this. He talked often, Buddy, about how you are "all boy", and "very mechanical" because you like to go around the apartment, touching every button you can reach, and even the lever that lifted great gramp's chair up and down. He thought you were something special. He talked about how he saw a lot of your other great gramp in you (who was also called "Bud"). When you walked up to his apartment, he would say: "Helloooo, Buddyyyy!"

The second to last time you saw him, Rosie, you were capable of going up and down the few steps between nana's house and great gram & gramp's apartment, and when great gram was out, you took it upon yourself to go upstairs by yourself and play around great gramp. He thought it was so neat that you came up on your own accord. He loved watching you play. He marveled over your imagination, and talked about what a "little lady" you were. You were his first great grandchild. You held an extra special place in his heart.

The very last time you saw him, when I announced it was time to go, you crossed your little arms and said: "I need a hug!", meaning, from great gramp. Of course, he was more than happy to give you one. We said our Love You's and Goodbye's, not knowing it'd be the last time.

I'm not sure how much the two of you will remember great gramp as time moves on. My hope is that you'll be able to remember him at least a little, and that pictures and videos will help. Just know that for a few years, you lit up his life like nothing else could. You made him so happy just by being you, whether you were a crying infant or in the midst of the terrible twos. He loved you through and through. Always remember that spending time with the ones we love is the best gift we can give.

Love,
Mom and Dad