i just found out my paternal grandpa accepted islam before he died of stomach cancer in 1993. i knew they performed a janaza for him but thought this was only because my dad took care of the funeral services since the rest of the family would not. my dad loves this man. when he died was the first and only time i ever saw my dad cry.

i don't connect much with the rest of my extended family. in fact, my family makes a concerted effort not to communicate with my father's side of the family. anyway, i love grandpa. before he died we used to sit in his back room and eat vanilla wafers and he would tell stories. i don't remember much about his face. i was only 8 when he died. when i close my eyes, i remember his hands and his legs because he was tall and i couldn't always look up to see his face. before he was too sick to get around he would drop off christmas gifts for me and my 3 brothers (my youngest brother had yet to be born). he didn't want us to feel left out so he brought us "holiday gifts." one year i got a stuff animal cat with a radio inside but my cousin broke it like he breaks everything. another year he bought me a fake makeup case.

he was a good man. i want to learn more about him.