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My Granddaughter Jennifer

JENNIFER I posted a poem on the 11th February 2019 that my Grandfather wrote to me in 1971, titled, “My Granddaughter Jennifer”. I also mentioned in my introduction to this poem, that I had lost my Grandfather’s poem’s except for a two or three of them. Well to my delight, during one of the three most traumatic events in one’s life, a move, which we instigated, and bravely followed through, I found a small file with his poem’s to me! I was quite thrilled – this one was sent to me 31st January 1967 when I was in my early teens, which I thought I would like to share with you. Again this is an exact replica of my Grand- father’s poem – keeping in mind, that English was his second language, not his mother tongue. This poem was titled merely: JENNIFER. TO MY DEAR GRAND DAUGHTER J Jubilant to have attained your aim E Efficiently wise to pave your way N No matter what your plans can claim N No matter how hard is the game of life to play I I am certain you are going to succeed! F Free be your mind and eminent your inspirations E Equitable be your conclusions, free of imaginations R Remember these words Jennifer and proceed……..! He further went on to say ….. In this world Jennifer, you will sincerely Feel your heart overflow with happiness, but when you do, stand by anything in which you believe is true. Only with truth will you fly to new horizons that will help you enjoy the moment, and see life through. Panos, Athens, January 31st 1967.

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Beata Agustin

Date: 11/19/2019 8:24:00 AM

Wow!!! Thanks for sharing this gem from your Grand Dad. God bless you.

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 1/10/2020 8:38:00 AM

My greatest pleasure, that is what we love doing and that is what poetry soup togetherness does. Blessings, Jennifer.

Quoth Theraven

Date: 11/16/2019 3:46:00 PM

Jennifer, Another Greek tragedy averted in 'MY GRANDDAUGHTER JENNIFER'. The Granddaughter honors the Grandfather well. I want to go back to the date January 31st, 1967 just for a day. -Richard

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/17/2019 11:32:00 AM

Just wave your magic wand - we are poets after all! Such a cool comment thank-you my friend. Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Caren Krutsinger

Date: 11/15/2019 1:59:00 PM

The best grandfatherly advice: " but when you do, stand by anything in which you believe is true" - how lovely! I am so grateful you looked at everything!

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/17/2019 11:30:00 AM

So am I Caren, I could have easily missed them because there was so much irrelevant paperwork for the here and now, yet I opened this envelop and there they were - I was so touched! Thank-you for an awesome comment Caren, Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Eve Roper

Date: 11/12/2019 12:50:00 PM

Wonderful wisdom given , Jennifer. Hugs

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/12/2019 1:07:00 PM

Thank-you Eve, he was a wise old man - a lovely comment thank-you my friend, and once again congrats on POTD. Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 11/11/2019 5:50:00 PM

wow, how wonderful to have a grandfather like this. I did not even have a father like this!! Let alone a grandfather. You were most fortunate. I'm glad you could retrieve this poem. Thanks for your family reunion comment on my poem.

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/12/2019 1:05:00 PM

Hi Andrea - I love all your poems Andrea - you are an inspiration on soup! My grandfather was a great guy - loved him to bits. Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Ravi Sathasivam

Date: 11/8/2019 9:41:00 AM

Excellent. Words of wisdom and emotional write. Thanks for sharing it.

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/10/2019 1:02:00 PM

Thank-you Ravi, it was like being on a roller coaster ride, with each item I discovered from this old cupboard, I was drawn deeper and deeper into the mysteries of death, and how near we are all to this happening, just a mere breath away. Thank-you for a great comment, Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Joseph May

Date: 11/7/2019 3:45:00 PM

You found a poetic treasure as you were facing that emotional move, Such a beautiful tribute to you from your Grandfather..

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/10/2019 12:57:00 PM

Thank-you Joseph, I was so emotional that I only realized this a few days after, and thanked God and my Grandfather, I have two guardian angels now - my father and my grandfather! Hugs and blessings dear friend. Jennifer.

Connie Marcum Wong

Date: 11/7/2019 2:02:00 PM

I can you imagine how hard it was to leave your home with all those memories. However finding your grandfather's poems to you was the blessing telling you from beyond that moving was the right path. I am sure those poetry genes were passed on to you from him. Blessings to you in your new new home. I enjoyed reading your grandfather's words of wisdom. : ) xxoo

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/10/2019 12:55:00 PM

You are so right Connie, it was a message from him and they were waiting and lying low for my discovery of them to comfort me in our move. I love your comment Connie, and sense all your understanding! Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Lindsay Laurie

Date: 11/6/2019 6:01:00 PM

Hello Jennifer … how wonderful you must have felt when you rediscovered this wonderful advice from your Grandfather, and then to share this advice to us all. Thank you Jennifer, you must feel so proud - Lindsay

Jack Horne

Date: 11/6/2019 2:06:00 PM

heartfelt and moving, my friend

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/6/2019 2:50:00 PM

Thank-you Jack and lovely to have you visit. Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Paul Callus

Date: 11/6/2019 9:43:00 AM

Two emotional happenings...one balancing the other. Leaving a house of many years can be heartbreaking, but finding your grandfather's poems in the process is a sign that the right choices must have been made! Is Panos short for Panagiotis? ~ Warm regards & Hugs // paul

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/6/2019 3:00:00 PM

Hi Paul finding my grandfather's poems was a good omen, he was trying to tell me well done, be brave - we were always very close, and he was very proud when I sent him my first poem when I was fourteen, Yes my friend, Panos is short for Panagiotis. Warm regards and hugs, Jennifer.

Winged Warrior

Date: 11/5/2019 2:48:00 PM

Jenn, you bring tears to a Warrior's eyes...welcome back sweetie...we all missed you...hope all is good now my friend...to the poetic battlefields lol...^WW^ :o)

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/6/2019 2:53:00 PM

Thank-you ^WW^ - I felt a deep loss when I saw our house empty and when we handed over the keys, sobbed my heart out for two days! It's good to be back, thank you my friend. Hugs and blessings, Jenn.

Kim Rodrigues

Date: 11/4/2019 7:26:00 PM

So beautiful, Jennifer!

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/5/2019 11:31:00 AM

Hi Kim, Thank-you. Thank-you also for that beautiful poem you posted about the tiny statue of a nun with praying hands. I absolutely loved it and reread it a few times - reminded me of my Convent schooling days. Blessings my friend, Jennifer.

John Gondolf

Date: 11/4/2019 3:55:00 PM

Moves are always so stressful, but what a blessing to have found these keepsakes, Jenn, truly a silver lining to that cloud. Thank you for sharing this little piece of your life. Hugs, John

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/5/2019 11:27:00 AM

John my friend, I could not believe my good fortune, an absolute treasure which can only be equated to the few great moments in our life. Thank you for a wonderful comment - felt I was sharing with my extended family. Hugs and blessings, Jenn.

Richard Lamoureux

Date: 11/4/2019 1:18:00 PM

What a wonderful gift. Thanks for sharing your treasure with us. It is cool that both you and your grandpa are creative. Blessings Rick.

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/4/2019 2:37:00 PM

Thank you Rick, my awesome find, made our move a great deal more tolerable - a lovely comment my friend. Hugs, Jennifer.

Anne-Lise Andresen

Date: 11/3/2019 8:27:00 AM

- Although I do not know your grandfather or you (more than a friend on the soup) - I am one hundred percent agreement in his words - Especially these three lines : "No matter how hard is the game of life to play - I am certain you are going to succeed! - Free be your mind and eminent your inspirations" - Words that are truly valuable from a grandfather, dear Jenny - Love it :) - hugs // Anne-Lise :)

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/3/2019 1:05:00 PM

Hi Sunshine Smile my dear friend, that is such a sweet thing to say. This poem came at a wonderful time of my life when we were actually in the throe's of moving - I was very sad and sobbed when we left the home I had known for almost 50 years. We are now settled in a new home which is very cute with a much smaller garden which I have designed as a mini garden of what I had designed in our previous home. My Grandfather and I were very close, he was a wonderful man and I had him as my poetry companion until I was 21, he died shortly thereafter. Hugs and love Anne-Lise. Jenny.

Regina Mcintosh

Date: 11/3/2019 2:33:00 AM

Wonderful - such a joy. I'm so glad you found them. Love and prayers for you, Gina

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/3/2019 1:09:00 PM

So am I Regina, The file was so old that I nearly threw it away but something told me it was important. It was! Thank-you for a lovely comment my friend, be well. Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Caycay Jennings

Date: 11/2/2019 9:05:00 PM

OK, I'm emotional. Fried on both sides because of how deeply touching it is to have a grandparent leave you bits of their self thru poetry and, on top of that, to find love thru poems he wrote about you. Turn me over and I'm touch fried because despite years of consideration, I can think of no one to leave my poems to. My son can read but not well enough for poetry (remember, he's special needs). I am just totally verklempt fried in the best emotional way, sweetie - I'm touched heart deep

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/3/2019 1:31:00 PM

Hi CayCay my darling friend, I have missed you and will try and soupmail soon. I have been through a very emotional, weepy, sad week in which we finally left our family home where three generations have lived (it was time) and have moved to a smaller, cozy, cute home with a much smaller garden, which I designed very quickly as I brought everything we needed from our previous garden. I can feel your emotional turmoil also CayCay, I'm so sorry, but God works in mysterious ways, your son will perhaps be touched by God's miraculous love and be able to one day read them! Don't you have a sister that you are very close to, maybe she and her family would be grateful and proud to receive them. Always in my mind, love to you and your wonderful boy. Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Bobby May

Date: 11/2/2019 7:48:00 PM

That is soooo cool something to treasure that's so awesome Jennifer!

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/3/2019 1:40:00 PM

Thank-you Bobby - I have not sat in front of my computer for about 12 days but we have finally moved and kind of settled into our new home. I have a great deal of catching up to do, but still very involved with the settling in part , strange but although I was very emotional about leaving, I knew it was the right thing to do. My husband and I were rattling around in a huge house, the time had come to think of a smaller home. It was like finding a treasure, my grandfather's poems Wow, and for me, I had a good cry! Unfortunately it was not all of them, but at least 20. He was a great guy, I loved him very much! Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Heidi Sands

Date: 11/2/2019 4:35:00 PM

Wow! This is SO special. Words of wisdom and just so nice :)

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/3/2019 1:45:00 PM

Thank-you Heidi a very kind comment - it was special finding them - I have been off poetry soup for about two weeks with our move to a new home, but will be catching up! Hugs, and blessings, Jennifer.

Gordon Mcconnell

Date: 11/2/2019 4:32:00 PM

Such a brilliant piece Jenny, your grandfather was certainly rightly proud of you, this must uplift your heart indeed. Hope all good with you in SA, especially having won the Rugby World Cup! Blessings and hugs, Gordon

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/3/2019 1:52:00 PM

It was one of the most special moments in my life, finding my grandfather's poems, and especially as it came at a time when I was so emotional about leaving our home and going to our new one! Thank you Gordon for such a wonderful comment! As for S.A. winning the world cup, we were all so proud, they did deserve it as they played like champions and it was a real bonding exp. for all South Africans. I will be catching up and visiting very shortly!. Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.

Sandra Adams

Date: 11/2/2019 3:57:00 PM

this is beautiful Jennifer...i can only imagine how exciting it was to read his words to you after his passing...my father used to write...i don't have any of his but they were in old news papers, he used to be featured locally often when i was a teen...i wish i had his collection... thank for you sharing this...i love it.... hugs :)

Sandra Adams
Date: 11/4/2019 9:35:00 AM

I just have to try and remember the year frames and then perhaps can...but i think it would require me being the one in the room looking through the old articles trying to find them...i agree though, it would be awesome to have... hugs I am so glad you found those and now have them...i would have cried too!

Jennifer Proxenos
Date: 11/3/2019 2:00:00 PM

Thank-you Sandra my dear friend - It was one of the most sentimental moments in my life, I broke down and sobbed - I found them in the last cupboard I cleared up in my mom's old bedroom in an old file that was about to fall to pieces. Can you not perhaps approach the various newspapers HR and ask them to look up old records - I know it must be heartbreaking to not have your father's poems - I'm so glad you enjoyed this poem Sandra and pray that somehow you might be able to trace even just a few! Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.