We were always such good friends, weren't we?

Opa used to tell me that all the time: 'Jennifer was always my good friend.' He's never been a man of many words. He let Omi do all the talking for him, but he's always had such a wonderful attitude. He was always the one that could make my mom laugh. I can remember them going on for what seemed like hours, laughing at some inside joke between the two of them. He always had such a broad grin on his face and when I think about it, I really do feel like he lit up the room.

When I was little, before they moved back to the south burbs, we used to go visit Omi & Opa's house. If he happened to be working in the yard, he'd give me wheelbarrow rides around the yard. There was one occasion, where he took me to a park and while he pushed me on the swing, his wallet fell out of his pocket. Being the observant girl that I was, I noticed it and told him right away. That was one of those memories that stuck out in his head. Bringing it up every once in a while. When I'd go stay with them for a weekend, he always tucked me in at night. And we would tell one another stories until I fell asleep. I couldn't tell you what any of the stories were about, but I remember laughing with him like crazy. He had little Polish nicknames for me and was always so happy to see me.

When they moved to the area, Opa was my compadre a lot of the time. We used to go on bike rides all over the neighborhood. Exploring new streets, riding up and down the hills by the golf course. I would ride my bike over to their condo and ride up to the back door. I'd park my bike on the patio and holler in the backdoor that I was there. We'd sit down and drink bootleg orange soda and play cards or dice.

When I got a bit older, I used to go on those long winding bike rides on my own. One time, I was about a mile from the house and I flipped my bike, injuring myself and the bike so badly that there was no way I'd be able to ride home. Being that cell phones weren't around yet, I panicked. I walked myself to the nearest house and asked to use their telephone. I called home and in ten minutes or so, Opa showed up to bring me and my busted bike back home.

He also came to the rescue when I was in high school and fell into the bumper boat pool at work. I was soaked from head to toe and just happened to be without a car that day. He came and picked me up in my wet clothes, brought me back home to change and then drove me back to work.

We had a piano in my basement when I was growing up. The man had never taken a lesson in his life, but he was a natural artist. He had a tune in his head and he picked out the right keys to play the song. Later in life, he began painting. He'd just use scrap pieces of wood and paint beautiful things on them. When he & Omi asked me what I wanted from them as a wedding gift, I told them I wanted a painting from Opa. I didn't care what it was of, just that it had come from him and most importantly, that it was signed by him. They gave me the painting at my bridal shower. And I almost immediately started crying. It's a beautiful flower, and it's hung in my home ever since.

Opa passed away last night. He's been very sick for the last few months. In a lot of pain. When I went to see him a couple weeks ago, he just was not the man that has been such an important part of my life. When I turned ten, he told me that on the day I was born, he asked God to let him live long enough to see me turn 10 years old. Not only did God grant him that prayer, he gave him another 17 years in my life. Opa saw not only me turn ten, but his three other granddaughters, as well. He was there for my high school graduation, my graduation from college and my wedding day. He came out to see my first house and told me how proud of me he was.

I'm going to miss him so much.

I love you, Opa.

Ignatius Bernard Kowalsky
4/12/22 - 9/19/09