Last summer, Grandpa and I went fishing every weekend on Crystal Lake. One time, I caught a couple of legal-sized trout. I remember him patting me on the back so hard, I almost dropped the fish back in the water! The two of us cooked them over a fire pit along with sweet corn and s'mores. Grandpa kept smacking his lips and saying, "These are the best fish I've ever eaten, Davey."

School lets out in four days. I'm not as excited as usual because I don't have anyone to take me fishing. Grandpa lives in a nursing home now. Mom says something bad happened in his head and he needs special people to take care of him. I wonder if they know how much Grandpa likes to go fishing?

I asked Mom if there was a fishing pond close to the nursing home. She was loading the dishwasher and stopped to look at me, "Davey, Grandpa won't be able to go fishing ever again - he can't walk or talk." I felt scared and sad when she said that.

Pastor Louis, from our church, talked about laying all our problems at the feet of Jesus. So, that night, I asked Jesus to heal my Grandpa and bring him back home. It seemed like I'd only been asleep a few minutes when I found myself sitting in our old fishing boat:

Grandpa, I got one on the line...cripes the side of the boat is tipping. He must be huge.

You can handle this one, Davey. Someday, you'll  teach your own son how to fish like I taught you.

But, Grandpa, I'm not ever getting married. I don't even like girls. 

It felt so good to hear Grandpa laughing while I reeled in a whopper of a fish!.

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Grandpa died a week later and was cremated. He wanted his ashes spread over Crystal Lake. So, on a warm day in July, our family chartered a small boat and headed into the middle of the lake. As the boat slowly turned in a circle, we all took turns until the urn was empty. 

Heading back to shore, I felt a pressure on my shoulder and a familiar voice whisper in my ear.

Remember, Davey: When the wind's from the East, the fish bite the least. When the wind's from the West, the fish bite the best.

I'll remember, Grandpa. And, I love you...forever.