I wasn't as close to my Papa as some poeple may be with their grandparents, but He changed the way I thought about myself.
One instance I remember so vividly was on one of the rare occasions when my mom's parents came to visit us all the way out in California. It was at our newest house in Napa Wine County, the yellow one located on San Vicente Ave, and thy hadn't visited there yet.
They had just arrived, and I ran to meet them in the front marble hallway. It'd been a while since I'd actually seen them in person. Usually it was just their voices over the phone a couple times a year. So boy was I excited to see them! Plus I got to show off my newest accessory.
In the fifth grade I had to get glasses. I didn't necessarily like them on my face. They blocked my eyes. Some had started calling me four-eyes, nerd, and other "innocent" nicknames. My grandparents had seen pictures, but in person was different. And I don't know why, but for one who didn't like her glasses much I was excited to show them off!
My grandpa gave me a big hug when I saw him. The best kind of hugs! The ones where you get squeezed so hard you feel your organs smooshing together. The kind that in the future I hoped I could learn to give! His voice, which I can't explain but can still hear in my head, greeted me by my full name "Noelani" as he always did. But it was the next action that left an imprint on me that I'll never forget. I looked up at my Papa, and he noticed my glasses and using his pinky he slid them back up my nose. I laughed. He called me cute. That meant everything in the whole world. From then on, nothing anyone could say to me could make me feel bad about glasses. I felt more confident about them.
To this day I like them. I prefer them to contacts, and I even have multiple pairs of frames. Thanks to my Papa I was able to feel good about glasses. They weren't a bad thing. They only accentuated the features God gave me, and God made my eyes the way they are so that's nothing to be ashamed of.
This summer I went to camp to work as a media intern. I didn't know that I would be giving a devotional to young junior camp girls, but alas I did. What did I talk about? How they are fearfully and wonderfully made. God loves them each uniquely in the way he made them. I told them my story about not liking glasses, but learning to accept them because that's how God made me. One of the girls afterward said, "Thank you, Auntie Noni. I don't like my glasses either, but maybe I will try to now."
Papa without realizing it has had such an impact on not just my life, but also kids at junior camp this past summer in California. All he did was compliment me, but what a difference it's made.
And now, whenever I use my pinky to slide my glasses back up my nose, I remember Papa. I am reminded of his voice, his hugs, and how much my heart will always ache wishing he were around just a little longer…