Grandpa Mike

Brian's dad, Michael Joseph Murphy, was born 61 years ago today. Although I was never able to meet him, I find plenty of opportunity to miss him. I feel the lack of his presence and miss the space he would have filled.


They say he enjoyed working with his hands and was quite the carpenter. I guess he had a playful nature and loved to joke and laugh. I hope that he had the dancing skills of his brother, Chuck, and the sweetness of his sisters. I am sure he would have been a wonderful grandfather.


If he were alive today, there would be much to celebrate.

For his birthday, I would tell him a few of Eden's recent funny stories. She would surely make him laugh.



Like the story of a couple of nights ago:
Brian, Eden and I were having some ice-cream at the coffee shop down the street. Eden decided to take hers outside and she thinks its pretty fun to stand on the bench and look in the window. A few moments later, we notice that she starts dancing and not just swaggering back and forth she is really getting down. Some kids from inside decide to join her (I mean she was having a good 'ol time out there). They jump up on the bench and humor us with a sway to and fro - but nothing like Eden. Finally they all come inside and I ask Eden if she could hear the music through the window... she looks at me with tilt of the head and says... "Mommy, I don't always have to hear music to dance!"


And he would have definitely liked to hear about the day she wore her "Potty Like a Rock Star" shirt:
She spent the day out and about with Brian... physical therapy, REI, a bike ride to the park. When they returned, Brian said that she was pretty popular in her funny shirt. Soon after, I took her to do her business in the bathroom and while sitting on the potty she asks "Mommy, how do rock stars go potty?"

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Mike!