I will walk in memory of my grandfather

I was one day shy of turning 16 when my grandad passed away from cancer.

CLOSE BOND: Me with my grandma and grandad at a family gathering. Picture: Contributed

I WAS one day shy of turning 16 when my grandad died from cancer.

Six years later, the events of the day are still clear in my memory.

After years of battling prostate cancer, it eventually spread to his bones.

It breaks my heart to say many of my memories consist of seeing him riddled with pain but that's the reality of cancer and it's cruel.

However, it doesn't mean I don't have memories which continue to make me smile and laugh, even while I'm writing this piece.

My grandad was a proper gentleman.

A gentle soul with endless love in his heart - especially for his wife, with whom he celebrated 60 years of happy marriage shortly before he passed.　

Although he was a proper man, he was cheeky too.

One of my cherished memories was from a family lunch when he decided to replace his dentures with a pair of lolly teeth.

Wanting to join in on the fun, I did the same thing.

The only difference was my actual teeth couldn't be taken out.

He was a man of few words but he made up for it by speaking with his facial expressions and body language.

Every time we visited their house, we knew not to put our feet on the couch because if you did, you'd get "the look".

Each Sunday, he and my grandma would visit my family as well as my cousins, aunty and uncle who lived just 30 seconds up the road.

Every school holiday, I would pack my bags and stay at their house for two nights where he would always make sure I'd eaten enough.

"Have another biscuit," he would always say.

As we approach the seventh anniversary of his death, I will walk at Relay for Life alongside many others who have been touched by cancer.

Originally published as I will walk in memory of my grandfather