- April 24, 2024
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My grandfather, Lloyd Blackwood, lived a long life full of love, family and vegetables.
If I was going to give you a tour of my grandfather’s house in Knoxville, Tennessee, I would start with the backyard.
Magnificently tall pine trees outline the half-acre filled with wildflowers, bird baths and tributes to the lives of former pets. But the real treasure of Lloyd C. Blackwood’s backyard, was his garden.
Rows of green beans, cucumbers, corns, jalapeño peppers, okra and my personal favorite, ridiculously-huge tomatoes, were tended by my 97-year-old Papaw, until his final days. Even as he was lying in his hospital bed, he was questioning my grandma (or Pokey, as I call her), who would be prepping the garden for the upcoming spring season.
But the garden wasn’t for his own benefit, he practically fed the town with his vegetables. One year he donated food to a total 63 families.
His constant giving wasn’t something I just saw in the garden. Papaw was known for keeping a handful of Dove chocolates in his pocket to pass out to people he thought needed a little pick me up. In other words, if you ran into my Papaw, you weren’t walking away empty handed.
Papaw spent the majority of his life working and being on the road. He was a member of the Steamfitter's Union for over 70 years, supervised the construction of two nuclear plants in Ohio and managed the installation of the heating and cooling equipment for the refurbishment of Ellis Island in New York City.
When Papaw finally retired at the age of 73, he wasn’t ready to stop moving. Instead he found himself a routine that included gardening, taking care of two puppies and becoming established as a member and occasional preacher at his local church. A place where his generosity didn’t go unnoticed.
In my lifetime, I’ve seen a lot of older family members pass on. But there seems to be a great difference between them and my Papaw. Though his earlier life was always the subject of dinner table stories, and he was more eager to discuss his faith and needs of the local community. In the last two decades of his life, at an age where people are considered to be the least active, is where I think he shined.
His church, Sinking Springs United Methodist, easily became a second family to him. Practically the entire congregation showed up to his funeral. Papaw attended every Sunday, where he would don a bow-tie and a fedora (He had a lot of style for 97), and look for an opportunity to lend a hand.
When it comes to the idea of how to live a “full life,” I think my Papaw had the answer: generosity. To need and be needed are what keeps us going with a purpose. So whether your 22 or 97, remember to never underestimate the power of community — or a piece of chocolate.
