Jason, 44

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my grandpa—not just his words, but his actions.

By the time I remember him, he was a commercial fishing boat captain in Alaska. He was a man of few words and a man of action. My grandfather, Warren, known as “Sonny” was born around 1940. He worked as a logger in the Pacific Northwest. I was born in 1980, and as a young man in Alaska, I found myself in trouble. In 1998, when I was released from juvenile jail, my grandpa was there to pick me up. He didn’t say much, but what he did say was all about action. When I told him I wanted to do better in life, he simply looked at me and said, “Well, if you want to straighten your act… you might want to start with your hat.” At the time, I didn’t think much of his words. Maybe I chalked it up to generational differences. Maybe I just respected the idea that a crooked hat could lead to a crooked path. I’m not sure. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my grandpa—not just his words, but his actions. I think about the times he visited me when I was locked up as a kid. I think about the homemade bacon burgers he would bring, each one carefully wrapped with love. And after all these years, I’ve come to realize that he did those things simply because he loved me. Looking through the lens of love, I finally understand what he was trying to tell me. The truth is, if we want to make changes in life, we can start small. We can choose to make a change today. 

Thank you, Grandpa. 

Love,
Your grandson

“We look ahead and see the life we choose.”