Written by Garland Smith.
He was my grandfather — but more than that, he was my first father. While my dad served overseas during the Korean conflict, it was Poppa who filled the role: steady and smiling, my quiet hero in overalls.
My mom and I lived in a little rent-house he and Granny owned, wrapped in the warmth of their presence. I was his pride and joy — the apple of his eye. Of that, there could be no doubt.
Fishing trips were our adventures. We always stopped at the donut shop first, catching the first batch out of the fryer — hot, sticky, and delicious. I remember those mornings more vividly than birthdays. He made everything feel like an occasion.
When he had work to do — some busted pipe or creaky hinge on one of his rentals — I was his shadow. Crawling under porches, handing him tools I couldn’t name, just happy to be close. He worked as a clerk at a small hardware store and let me “help” on weekends — marking prices, stocking shelves, straightening rows, pretending I knew what I was doing. We’d grab hamburgers afterward and sit in easy silence, like old friends who didn’t need words.
Even after my dad came home, Poppa remained my anchor. But life has a way of drifting. We moved away. I got older. He stayed the same — calling, inviting. I answered less and less. Teenager things. College things. Life things. Always something more urgent.
He never complained. He never stopped loving me. I see that clearly now — clearer than I did when he was still around to hear it. Sitting here now with tears in my eyes, I can only imagine how much it must have hurt him that I didn’t make more of an effort to spend time with him. Now I’m the old man. And if I could, I’d go back — not to change him, but to change me. To say yes more. To go fishing more. To linger over one more donut or one more hamburger.
But opportunities lost are gone — and can never be reclaimed.
About this sample: A personal essay about my grandfather, written for a general audience, showing narrative voice and storytelling. Disclosure: No AI used.
Writing sample by Garland Smith. ← Back to Freelance Writer