Yesterday we said goodbye to Eric's grandfather. Funerals are by no means a fun event, but I do find it interesting how much you can learn in reflecting on someone's life.

I don't know why I didn't notice it before, but I found myself catching all the things that Eric embodies that are his grandparents on the Wolfe side.

His grandmother (Florence) was a skilled painter, with an eye for beauty. Eric has always had a vision for beauty that I am sure she influenced.

His grandfather (Robert) was an engineer, and like to build/design things. Honestly, so did Eric's dad. Eric is a 3rd generation designer/builder, seeing spacial relations and how things can connect, like his father, and his father before him.

As I looked at the photo of Robert yesterday, I was also reminded of how often I saw him smiling. Almost every time I saw him, he was smiling. He also had a youthful twinkle in his eyes, despite his 96 years. This is something that has always been true of Eric as well. He often has a smile on his face (sometimes a mischievous one), and a twinkle in his eye that defies the fact that he has aged at all.

Even at 96, you could tell that Robert's mind was sharp and constantly thinking. Eric functions much the same way, always seeing the possibilities and visions of beauty and what could exist (a unique and beautiful blend of Florence and Robert).

I didn't start out for this to be a post about Eric. To me, it is more a reflection on the things we "get" from our families. I don't know the science behind what is genetically inherited and what is a product of the environment we are raised in.

No matter the data, I am grateful for the talents that Florence and Robert (and Eric's father Bill) passed on and the man they helped Eric to become.

So thank you Robert Wolfe. We will miss you. And some of your best attributes live on in all 3 of your grandsons.