Summertime, the heat rising from the ground with full force and birds chirping in delight, that was our time. The porch, with its weathered rocking chairs and the hardened wood that I always feared would give me a splinter but never did, that porch was more than that, it meant happiness, it meant you; You and I would sit upon that porch and you taught me everything I know and love. You taught me how to love reading: words sprawling the pages were no longer meaningless, with you they found meaning. You devoured books, you would sit down crack it open, a blanket covering your lap, your legs out in front of you, one crossed over the other, and the book would disappear beneath your hands. Your beauty, ageless, always seemed perfect to me and I hoped that one day I would be like you.

Love, when I think of love, true, pure love, I think of you and grandpa. I have your picture on my wall, I look at and I remember the day when I first began to understand what true love was. It was the precious summertime that I treasured and cherished so dearly. It was early- the sun coming up over the bushy trees only slightly just enough to dot the deck out the front window. You and grandpa were in the kitchen, I heard the dishes clanking as you both worked together to load the dishwasher full of dirty plates, and bowls, from meals we had all shared together. I took my time coming out of my room that morning, I slowly put my feet on the floor wiggling my toes. I stood up and stretched, no thoughts in my head yet. I pulled the thin wooden door toward me to open it, and walked into the hall slightly dragging my feet to feel the coolness of the wooden floors. Then, there it was a moment, that moment that to this day I can still picture perfectly because it was perfect.

Grandpa put in the final dish into the dishwasher, I stood for some reason just watching silently not wanting to interrupt, still bent over you pinched his butt, and let out your magnificent laugh; Your head went back, eyes closed, a laugh so full of life and wonder. Grandpa stood up, spun around and hugged you: arms around your neck and slowly slipped yours around him. That was your moment, you were in love, so in love- I could feel it. I had never seen something so beautiful, the two of you standing there, alone in the kitchen the sun pouring in slightly, trickling in more and more as if it were a stream, just holding each other. That was the moment I understood true love.