My First Love

The first man I ever loved was you.
You were the first to teach me right from wrong.
You were the first to show me that I am someone who deserves respect.
You were the first to place inside of me that if no one else was there, you were.

The first man I ever loved was you.
You were the first to show me that I felt would never hurt me, and you lived up to that.
You were the first to show me that that there are upstanding men in the world.
You were the first to show me that materialistic things are nothing but that - things.

The first man I ever loved was you.
You were the one to tell me that no man could define who I was inside.
You were the one to tell me that education was the one thing no one can take for me.
You were the one to tell me that no human should be first in my life, only God.

The first man I ever loved was you.
You were the one that I ran to when nothing made sense and no one else would do.
You were the one that my thoughts went to for inspiration and comfort on bad days.
You were the one that I turned to for guidance, knowledge, and help.

The first man I ever loved was you.
The first man I ever saw was you.
The first man I ever knew was you.
The first man I ever would give my life for was you.

The first man I ever loved.
The first man I ever cared for.
The first man I ever cried for.
The first man in my life.

The first man I ever loved was you.
It is so hard to realize that you're gone, Grandpa.
Some days are good days. I can actually speak of you and feel . . . sane.
Other days I can barely rise from bed without tears on my face.

It is so hard to remember that you are in a better place and not on this cruel world.
It is so hard not to be selfish and wish you were here.
It is so hard to realize that I will never here you call me "Pumkin Pie"
It is so hard to cope with the fact that I never said goodbye.

I hope that you know that I loved you first.
I hope that you know that you were my first.
Not even Boyfriend, Fiance, Father could supersede you.
Not even Brother, Mother, Sister could supersede you.

The first man I ever loved.
One half of my heart.
One half of my reason to press on through trials and confusion.
One half of my drive to continue through this hellish place.

Is gone.

~I love you Grandpa~

Johnnie Hampton
February 6, 1933 - July 25,2007.