On August 18th, 2016 I lost my grandfather. He had been in the hospital for a few days and we thought he was getting better but he passed peaceful in his sleep that night. I went to visit him the morning of the 18th and we talked about the usually, Red Sox and weather. Before I left I gave him and hug and a kiss and told him I loved him. It was only a few days before that that I found out he had been listening to Carrie Underwood in the hospital with my mom and my aunt. My aunt told me Carrie was one of his favorite artists, I never knew that until that week.
On the morning of the 19th I was in Rhode Island visiting my best childhood friend with my sister. I sent a text to my dad asking "How's Gramps doing today?." He sent back "wake your sister up and give us a call." At that moment I knew something was wrong. After we got the news he passed I felt like that whole day wasn't real. I couldn't think all day. All I could think about was what my Grampa told me a few days before he "loved watching me playing ball growing up" and I told him "I loved you being there." That was the only thing that kept running through my head all day. There are some things I wish I had gotten to do with my grandfather, go to a Red Sox game with him, watch some of his favorite John Wayne westerns or take another trip with him to Wells Beach. But the one thing I really wish I did was listen to our favorite singer together. The day of his funeral we did, How Great Thou Art sung by yours truly. And now every time that song comes on I will think of him.
A few weeks passed and I was talking to my friend about getting a tattoo of a baseball for my Grampa. I had a lot of things coming up, weddings softball stuff and more Carrie concerts of course so I didn't schedule an appointment. About a week after that I had been frantically checking my email for a Carrie meet and greet for the NH date on September 30th. On September 15th I got one, "Hi Kristin, you've won..." The first person I called was my Gramma and she was so excited for me. I told her Grampa did this, he made it happen!
A week passed and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to tell Carrie. I knew I wanted to tell her the story of my grampa and how her music has made a big impact on my life. I also had the idea of her writing something out for me so I can get it tattooed in memory of him. I came up with the idea "Play On" because after he passed him telling me he loved to watch me play the sport I absolutely loved to play stuck in my head. The meaning behind the song was perfect too, never giving up!
Moments before I met Carrie I was so nervous. Thinking to myself.."What if she doesn't write these words for me? Will they let her sign my vinyl too? Is my hair okay? Can I take one of these breath mints?" My turn was next, here goes nothing..I told her about my grandfather and said she was "sorry for my loss" I asked her to write "Play On" for me so I could get it tattooed for him and she did. Then we bonded over softball. I gave her a hug and thanked her for everything. On October 7, 2016, Mookie Betts' birthday (my Grandfather'
s favorite current Sox player) I got "Play On" in Carrie Underwood's handwriting tattooed on my forearm.
And every time I look down at my forearm I will think of my Grampa and know to "Play On"
