It's just a flashlight

Whenever my dad comes to visit I usually have a project or 50 for him to do. He's retiring now, so the list will get longer.

Last summer, he had to change the headlight bulb in my car. "Got a flashlight?" he asked. "No." I replied. Then in my condo, he had to fix a dimmer switch. We had to shut the power off, so again he needed a flashlight. I still didn't have one. Not in the car, not in the condo.

On his last trip this past February, he installed my microwave above the stove. The power had to be shut off again, of course, and of course, still no flashlight. Grandma had come with him on this trip. Grandpa had just passed almost a month prior, and the trip was much needed. Luckily she had a flashlight.

Odd, huh? Why would she have one? Well, Grandpa was a flashlight collector almost. I don't know if it's from all the camping we used to do or what. He had them everywhere! In the house in numerous locations, in the cellar, in the barn, in the toolbox on the tractor. Everywhere. I guess this included Grandma's luggage.

When I went home for Easter, something I hadn't done in a long time, but couldn't bear to not be with my family through the first holiday without Grandpa, Grandma gave me one of Grandpa's flashlights.

The ironic thing about the one she gave me is that it was the last one he ever bought, and I was with him the day he did. It was over Christmas, and we had gone to Cortland for the day. Off Grandpa went in to Tractor Supply in search of the addition to his collection. In the car on the way home, he was like a kid with a new toy. He couldn't wait to try it out. He got his jackknife out, started cutting through the packaging. And just like a kid, once it was open, sure enough, something fell under the seat.

He obviously retrieved all the pieces as it works great, although I've had no use for it. It's a great comfort to have though, in more ways than one.

It's not just a flashlight.