But, first, a bit of background.
My mother is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so half of my extended family still lives in/around the area. Growing up, we (naturally) didn't see that side of the family as often as those that were local to us ... Mainly around the holidays and during the summer when we'd all congregate at the cottage in Conneaut Lake.
So, it was understandable that I didn't have an extremely close relationship with my mom's parents (whom we call Gram and Pap) when I was small ...
In fact, Pap downright scared me.
He was quiet and stern and never seemed to smile. It didn't help that I never felt like I stacked up to my male cousins who always had his praise and attention ... Even my excellent grades and accomplishments on the softball field didn't seem to pique his interest.
It wasn't until much later (when I went away to college in Pennsylvania and spent a bit more time with Gram and Pap) that I finally developed a better relationship with my grandparents.
Pap, in his older age, mellowed out a bit and is currently anything but scary ...
Which is good, because now there are a couple of great-grandchildren in the mix! And since Pearl is currently the only great-granddaughter, maybe she will capture his heart in a way I never could.
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