Danny's Eulogy

On the train home from school, I took out a notebook and jotted down the first thoughts about my grandpa that came to mind. With a tad of editing and a few additions, those thoughts turned into my eulogy. I tried to represent everything about my relationship with my grandpa, and to depict everything great about him, which was everything; but like my aunt Suze said, I cannot put into words how much I love and miss my Grandpa. To most, a grandpa is a far-off relative; as I'm sure you all can tell, that is not the case with mine. My grandpa was as close to me and my cousins as we are to each other and our parents and siblings, uncles and aunts; I would even call him one of my best friends. Anyone who knew him surely has their own incredible experience and relationship with the great Herb Yalof; here is mine:

My grandpa is the best guy in the world.

He is the reason I stand up straight, he is the reason I hold the door open for ladies, and he is the reason I have a strong handshake. (I should mention that all of this is, of course, in thanks to my grandma as well.) He is the reason I always have tissues in my left pocket, though I think he preferred a handkerchief himself. He is the reason I’m not afraid to strike up conversation with strangers, and the reason I’m enthusiastic about trying new things. He’s the reason I know when and how to look presentable, and when to dig my hands into the dirt. He’s the reason I know how to crack a lobster shell, and how to reel in a tuna 30 miles out to sea. He is the reason I know what a 4-pound hamburger tastes like, and the reason that I know what actually happens at auctions. He bought a toaster for my house to use when he visited, because he did not like the way ours worked—yes, he visited that often, and yes, we have 2 toasters; but that’s not all: thanks to him we have a waffle iron and a single-cup coffee maker too!—he always was at the front edge of technology, especially when it came to new modes of playing solitaire. He’s the reason I’m not in gambling debt… and the reason I was in it to begin with. He is the reason I know what a breath of fresh Vermont air tastes like, and the reason I know what a handful of fresh Vermont snow tastes like. He makes me feel like a computer genius with his frequent phone calls full of questions about ipods; I never had the heart to tell him that any teenage boy can do what I do these days.

He is the reason I go out of my way to see my friends perform in plays and concerts, and he is the reason I look forward to being with my family. It was he who yelled at James Reddicliffe to pass me the basketball, and it was he who cheered for me when I almost made that tackle in peewee football.

He’s the reason I never lose sight of what’s important to me, and the reason I’m always looking for what matters to me. He’s the reason I smile so often and the reason I laugh when others don’t. He is the reason I make the most of every day.

He always knew how to make others happy, and he took every opportunity to do so, and it is because of my grandpa that I do the same.

-Herb's grandson Danny