Throwback Thursday: memorial post for our loved ones #TBT

[#1]

It's Thursday!

I just realized that today is my dad´s birthday. Next month, it will be 33 years since he passed away, a month after his birthday. He was 58 and had colon cancer. I was 23 at the time so we didn't have much time together after I became an adult. Most of the two and a half years prior I had lived in England. After he passed away, I got myself really busy with things to do: got married, moved to the States to prepare to go to college, etc. I think that was my way to deal with his loss. But as the years pass, I think I miss him more and more. I realize how much he missed out on in my life. He never got to know my wife properly nor meet any of my kids. And now that I have grandkids, that stings even more.

Here is a picture of my dad. I think he is like 13 or so, getting confirmed in national church of Iceland. Look at that hair!

And this picture was taken in 1987, the day I left for America as an exchange student. Do I look like him?

What person, who has passed on, do you want to remember today? Tell us some stories.

Let’s make it a great Thursday!
KGM

[Amanda Barber]

Happy birthday to your dad, @Kristján Geir Mathiesen 💙 

I'll share some memories of my grandma who passed away 5 years ago. I spent before and after school with her until third grade. I also spent summer days there. I remember watching Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street at her house in the mornings and she always gave the best back scratches and snuggles. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity for my kids to know her, too. 

Here she is with my kiddos way too long ago...along with a photo of her in her 20s with my grandpa.

[Martin Runge]

Today, I want to honor my granddad, my mum’s father. He was a truly exceptional man, perfectly combining a gentle, passionate nature with a resilient, steel-like strength.

Some of my most cherished memories are the quiet, simple moments we spent together: fishing and preparing our catch, working in the garden, caring for the chickens, and watching him drink raw eggs! He faced life with a deep, patient calm, whether he was teaching me daily skills or proudly riding his motorcycle "Schwalbe".

He was also remarkably resilient. He fought in World War II, survived injuries twice, and completely rebuilt a new home for himself and my grandmother far from their original location. However, it wasn't until after his passing that I truly understood the depth of his character. I discovered that later in life, he had gone to prison because he refused to participate in an unjust scheme. When pressured to falsely accuse his colleagues of theft at work, he chose to stand by his principles, opting for prison rather than compromising his morals.

The most enduring legacy he left (and what I strive to carry every day) is to always uphold your integrity and serve as a role model in all you do. Miss you, Granddad. Thank you for the lessons.

[Anahit Sukiasyan]

What a beautiful tribute to your dad @Kristján Geir Mathiesen , happy birthday to him. 🤍 

I'd also like to remember my grandfather, my mom's dad, who passed away in 2022 after battling cancer. He was a bright, kind, and wise individual whose thoughts, advice, and warm smile remain with me every day. He had a special way of making people feel heard and understood, and there are still moments when I find myself thinking about what advice he would give in a situation. While I deeply wish he could have been here to witness more of life's milestones, I am grateful for the memories, values, and love he left behind. His presence continues to live on through the lessons he taught and the countless lives he touched.

Sending warm thoughts to everyone remembering a loved one today. ❤️

[Barbara Szczesniak]

Beautiful tributes, everyone. Today, I am thankful that my parents are still with me (literally in the same house), and I will try to appreciate them and not lose patience with 2 people in their mid-80s. 

[John Funk]

I think of my mom and dad - both of whom would have turned 100 last year if they had lived. My father died in 2012, and I was able to be by his side. He was 87. My mom died in 2020 at 94. I was able to visit her and say goodbye the afternoon before she passed in the night. What a gift from God that I was able to be with both at that time. They both lived full and productive lives - so much history they say and so much wisdom they passed down to us five kids. My first grandchild is on the way in September so it makes the memories even more special. 

[Anne Saunders]

My Grandpa (mom's father) was a Master Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy, and his whole career was based on systemization, discipline, and self-control. 

He had a gruff exterior, but he could be quick with a joke, and he was always vocal in his praise of everything his grandkids were doing. He taught me to swim, fish, ride a bicycle, and drive a tractor, a car, and a boat. He gave the best Christmas and birthday presents, and the best hugs. He was the only one of my grandparents who lived into this millennium; the only one who saw me graduate high school and college; the only one who got to meet my children.

We lost him 15 years ago, but the ache lingers.

[Kristján Geir Mathiesen]

Takk everyone for beautiful memories and words.

I found this photo after writing this post. I think it was taken in late 1990 or early 1991, when I had hair...

[Natalie Beiler]

What a wonderful tribute to your father @Kristján Geir Mathiesen I love that you shared your father with us.

Today I remember both of my parents. My mother was living with us when she died of colon cancer in 2016. She would have turned 84 this year. My dad died of heart failure a year earlier in 2015. He was estranged from the family for > 20 years. I am thankful we reconciled before he passed.

My mother was a prayer warrior and held our family together through the storms of life. She often would gather us to pray as a family and study the Bible. She taught us to love Jesus and to love our neighbors -those who lived close by as well as anyone the Lord allowed us to meet along the way. I keep her picture in my home office just over my right shoulder. She always liked keeping an eye on us.

I appreciate what everyone has shared. We have the gift of precious memories to treasure.

[Jousef]

I think there is a common experience we share, our grandparents seem to have had a very big impact on us as either kids or later on in life. Beautiful stories! Thank you for sharing, everyone!

I want to remember my grandmother. I don't know all the details but she had a rough life, fleeing from a small Palestinian town to Jericho, where my father was born, finding refuge in Jordan where she lived the last years of her life with a family she brought with her and my grandfather (who I never got to know unfortunately.)

I grew up in Germany, my father came here in the 70s. When I was around 14 we visited the family in Jordan and I had the honor of spending time with my teta, that's what we call our grandmas in Arabic :)

There are two distinct memories that I will never forget because they showed her love for nature and her absolutely joyful inner self. I don't think she knew that I was thinking of her like that but she was and still is to this day a huge inspiration in my life. There is a Levant dish called Mulukhiyah, it's made from a plant of the same name, in English that would be jute (didn't know that, you learn every day, thank you teta!) and is this gooey slimy soup, very rich in taste and of course you add garlic to get a better kick. The preparation is quite a hassle, ripping the leaves of the jute branches and it felt like my teta was doing this for hours so the family in the house could all be fed. She sat there, in my uncles house, on the rooftop in a little room he had built. She smiled at me when I watched her, we couldn't talk to each other, she only spoke Arabic, and I only spoke German and English. She picked and picked and picked until the pile of leaves was ready to be cooked. It became one of my favorite dishes :)

The other memory I have is when she decided to take me and two of my cousins, the two youngest, out for a hike in canyon like area in Jordan. I don't know how we got there but I do know that I was sitting in a pickup truck's back enjoying the breeze of the ride. When we got the spot she wanted to be, we found fig trees. And in her older age, she climbed the trees and picked figs, throwing them down for us kids to catch and put in a basket. I was worried she will fall but she was very athletic it seems. :D
Later we walked along this small canyon (really not big) and she decided to climb down the rocks. I don't know if she found something or it was an impulse but she did. And then she actually fell, landed on her back, feet up in the air, and silence... what happened?! I ran, tried to check on her but then, she laughed! She laughed with all of her heart! To be honest, I was a bit pissed of course but then... how can I not laugh with her?!

So here is to my grandmother who I wished was able to trade stories with me today. A woman with naturalist skills, a mother who raised a family in the biggest of struggles, and the source of all the joy that I want to feel.

[Arkadiusz Wroblewski]

Aww.... Thats wonderful and emotional one @Kristján Geir Mathiesen .........

My grandmother and grandfather.

Since my mother worked in Germany from the time I was three years old, they were the ones who basically raised me. They had a huge influence on the person I am today.

They both lived through the Second World War and everything that came after it. They were very smart people and taught me a lot about life, about respect, and about how to treat others.

I spent a lot of time with them and have so many good memories: collecting mushrooms together in the forest, family stories, and the amazing food I ate as a child.

I still remember one sentence from my grandfather:

“Be at least so good to others that nobody has to cry because of you.”

They both passed away during the COVID period, and I was too late to say goodbye to both of them.

But well, no goodbye is forever.

[Kristján Geir Mathiesen]

So glad and honored to read your memories and what you have learned from those who have passed on. Takk for sharing.

[Tomislav Tobijas]

All the tributes shared here are truly beautiful. ❤️

I’d also like to share a small tribute to my aunt, who sadly passed away from a brain tumour when I was three. I mostly know and remember her through old photos and videos - one of us visiting the zoo and others of us simply playing together in the park.

Even though I was very young, having those moments captured means a lot to me. They’re wonderful memories to have, and this is my little tribute to her. 🕊️

[Anwesha Pan]

It's so heartful reading all the beautiful memorable tributes here! 🫶🏼

Sharing for my both grandmas and grandads!

I lost all 4 of them at their early age like in mid 50's ~ early 60's. Miss them so much, its been 26 years. Sometimes I see them in my dreams and feel like they come to check up on me if I am doing "alright". 🥹

I have few memorable moments I had with them captured like a photo in my memory. 

Thanks @Kristján Geir Mathiesen for sharing and happy birthday to your dad! 🤍