After Grandma Tolbert died, I realized that time was short. I knew that you would not be around forever so I made the decision that every Sunday after church I would stop by your house. I didn’t realize it would turn into you making Sunday lunch for the next six years. Typically it was just you and me eating and talking…mainly me eating and you talking. Mom would always say why are you going to Grandma Alexander‘s house? You never went to Grandma Tolbert‘s house like that. I would just smile because I was thankful that I got to spend that time with you. Now every time I see beef stew, cornbread vegetable plate with onions, or fried okra I'm taken right back to that table in those memories.

For a guy who works on computers, finding out that your father-in-law is a contractor former military is absolutely terrifying. Then when he asked you to start helping him renovate a house and you said yes because you were just already scared of him seems like a dumb move. I remember that first morning I showed up at 5 o’clock in the morning to work with you. We got to the house that had already been partially demoed by you the previous couple of weeks. You looked up at the roof and said we’re gonna take that chimney down, then laughed and said I mean you are gonna take that chimney down. You gave me a hammer and a chisel and told me to start at the roof and I better move fast before I ended up in the attic during lunch. He ended up still helping of course since he can't sit still. I cannot tell you how much I learned working with you, but the chimney taught me that trying to do something the easy way can destroy. Other things you might not understand. Sometimes the best thing to do is just to roll up your sleeves and get to work.

There’s always one thing I thought about anytime I got to go to your house. Mom would even say it on the ride over. Do you think Mamaw is gonna make chicken and dumplings? It was my favorite meal and the way you made. It seem to be so different real dumplings, real chicken. I finally got brave enough one day to ask you to let me help. You laughed and slightly moved everything I did closer to the garbage can as it just did not meet your level of perfection. And it probably would not have met my level of what I wanted to eat. I remember after we made it. You were very honest and said maybe I should focus on teaching you how to cook eggs instead of something so complicated. I can’t remember the last time I’ve eaten chicken and dumplings probably not since you passed away. I don’t think anybody knows that recipe you knew how to make. I miss you.

This game is something you and I spent hours upon hours upon hours playing. I’ve started it up, but I can’t play the game without crying to be honest with you. I can’t even look at the game box without remembering your smile and remember us playing together, trying to figure out all these different puzzles. I don’t know how I’m supposed to make it without you here, but I know I will see you again. I love you and miss you my little baby boy Braden.