Surrogate grandfather plays big role

I don't know how to start this column. Let me first say that I have several grandparents and I love and respect them all. Two have passed away, but the rest are still alive and as feisty as ever.

Most of my grandparents have been recognized, quite deservedly, as some sort of relation to me. All but one. This column is dedicated to him ... (deep breath).

I have a surrogate grandfather named Ed. He's basically adopted me into his family and his life. I don't know if he's regretted it; I am quite a handful. The whole point of this is to thank Ed for being Ed.

There is no other Ed; I can't put it any other way. He and my grandmother have been, let's just say friends, for as long as I can remember and I would like everyone to know he treats her beautifully.

Personally, I don't think she could have found a better person. He calls her his interior decorator because he says she lights up the room wherever she is. I don't think you can get any sweeter than that.

Of course, he has faults. He's still a human. He stole a horse when he was younger. I don't know why.

So what if he argues a lot? He's a lawyer, that's his job.

I get multiple Christmas and birthday cards, he either takes me out for dinner or makes it at his apartment on a regular basis, and every winter my mother and I get a box of oranges he orders for us, along with his five children and their families, from Florida.

Once, in third grade, I had to write an in-class report about whales. Because I'm a procrastinator, the morning that we were supposed to write the essay, I had no materials to go off of whatsoever. I showed up at his door because I considered him a bottomless well of knowledge (and still do). Fifteen minutes later, I was out the door with computer printouts that had his handwritten postscripts all over them about the great white whale. When it came time to write the essay in class, I said I had done "extensive research at my local library." I got a 110 percent on that paper and a computerized encyclopedia for Christmas.

I have a lot of grandparents É all in all, I'd say I have nine. This includes biological, step-grandparents and people like Ed. However, most people don't consider him any relation to me; to them, he's just dating my grandmother. If you can call it that. After at least 10 years, I don't think the word "dating" applies.

Whatever it is, I just wanted to give Ed some recognition and thanks.

Emily Hendricks is a junior at Central High School.