Originally posted here. This year will be the first Christmas without my grandpa. Since he passed on that hot afternoon in late August, my family has been making firsts. Dad turned 60 without him around. The first Thanksgiving came and went without him. His birthday was December 22 and it'll come steadily into focus and then fade away just before Christmas - without him. more Read the Whole Post There's a quiet emptiness that huddles in his place during these times. It's a