...there is no grandfather who does not adore his grandson.” Victor Hugothere

  All my life I have had certain insecurities and flaws! However, there was ALWAYS one person who looked at me beyond those flaws and insecurities. That person was my grandfather, Hubert Newberry, Sr. I can recall being suspended from elementary school and him always telling my mother “Awww Lisa that’s a boy…” My grandfather was a man of very few words, but I always knew his love for me was unconditional. Whenever we would talk on the phone, I would always look at the timer and notice how long we were on the phone. If we made it past a 3 minute mark I would be surprised. In 2010 when my grandfather’s health begin failing I could not cope with it. It was difficult for me to see my grandfather in that state. I remember seeing him in the hospital bed on Christmas Day 2010 and wanting to cry. When Ug was finally released from the hospital it was like we were back to norm

    My grandfather and I had a special bond. I miss those days of taking him to his doctor’s appointments or taking his trash out for him. Those days of running him around town and making that ONE stop before I took him in were special to me. The conversations we would share were priceless and will live on in my heart forever.  

 I will never forget the series of phone calls that I got when I heard of my grandfather’s passing. I was attending a conference and had a missed call from my Auntie and Father. I initially knew something was wrong. When I reached my Aunt she asked me to ride home with her. I insisted that I couldn’t because I was at a conference.  She told me she really needed me to come home. The next call was from my daddy, he broke the news to me. “Son, there’s no easy way to tell you this. Your grandaddy died this morning.” It was at that moment that life froze and everything seemed so surreal. In the days to come I would reminisce about all the good times my grandfather and I shared during my then 20 years of life.

Going into 2012 without my grandaddy, still seems surreal. There are moments when I cry thinking about his last words to me, which were; “Grandson, i’m so proud of you!” I know that my Ug has become my guardian angel, and would be so proud of all of my accomplishments this year. I find it difficult to cope with him not being able to see me receive my degree from Morehouse in May, but I know he will be there in spirit and his words of encouragement will echo in my heart as I journey through life.

So, with a heavy heart I write this post to celebrate my grandfather’s 70th Birthday. Today Ug would have been 70 years old! I know he is looking over those close to him and reminding us that wherever go in life, whatever obstacles we face in life we should know that the outcome will ALWAYS be ”mighty fine, mighty fine…”