A Time for Remembering

Sunday will mark the 5 year anniversary of my Grandfather's passing. This is a man, that many looked up to, including yours truly. Let me tell you a little about my Grandpa Spangenberg.
Justin Walker Spangenberg 3rd was born in Sparta, Michigan during the Great Depression. A time when all American's lost hope in their country and their money. He went on to become a photographer for the United States Army where he captured some of the first shots of Pacific battle fronts. Many of which are still around in my Grandmother's basement.
Upon returning to the small town where he called home, he became a shoe salesman and also a member of the Masons.
It was while selling shoes that a lady came in with 4 children, including one, lets call her Lynne, who needed special shoes with a bar running between them. Justin fell in love with Anna and from there adopted those 4 children to become his own.
He stayed married to Anna for 45 years, never having a child of his, but instead raising 4 to be his own. You see, my grandfather wasn't my real grandfather. But, I would call him that any day of the year, because he did something that most men would never do, he took in 4 children. That's intense.
Later in his life, he battled a disease that left him wheelchair bound and unable to use his hands for anything but lifting the simplest of objects. But Anna stood faithfully by his side for all of these years, through countless surgeries.
Even though he was crippled in his arms and his legs, he still had one goal. To make it to my Eagle Ceremony in 2005. He did. It would be the last time he would travel outside of the State of Michigan.
It was like this until January 1st, 2007. When the good Lord decided he didn't need to suffer anymore.
I remember the day like it was nothing else. Michigan was playing USC in the Rose Bowl, in which we lost.

6 days earlier, another man that I looked up to had passed away. Gerald Ford. He showed me that with the right amount of want, a man can come from nothing and become anything.

I remember driving up to Michigan from Indianapolis and seeing Air Force 1 flying into Grand Rapids airport.

But my Grandpa Spagenberg left a mark on my life. Not only am I named after him, but try my hardest to be the man that he would have wanted me to be. Smart, funny, quick on my toes, and also caring, godly, and ready to do anything God commanded.

I never got to tell him this, but Thank you Grandpa, for making me want to be a better man. Everyday of my life. I loved you.