Friday morning family members who traveled to Pittsburgh for the funeral started to head home. We hugged goodbyes to Blake, my cousins and my aunt and uncle. The remaining Henderson/Konouchi crew needed to end this week on a happy note, so Colin, Jess, Mia, Nana Olga, my parents, Neil and I all headed toward Kennywood. It was an expense for all of us to go, and one could argue it wasn't worth it considering Neil and I would only be able to stay for a couple hours before heading to the airport. But we all needed the escape, and we all needed an opportunity to make some happy memories.
Kennywood was always the highlight of my trip to visit my grandparents. It's a charming old amusement park to which my family has longtime ties. Nana Olga remembers going there for school picnics and visiting the dance hall as a teenager. My dad worked there for a summer running a midway game called Fascination and his sister handled tickets sales. Their cousin spent a high school summer or two coordinating park entertainment.
There are rides at Kennywood, like kid-size race cars that run on a steel track, that Nana Olga remembers riding as a child. I rode those during a family visit in the early 90s with my brothers, and sometime in-between my dad and aunt did, too.
Our short time there was mostly spent in Kiddieland, where we cheered on my niece Mia as she rode kid versions of the grownup rides. Then the whole family rode the train around the park and grabbed lunch at the cafeteria. It was unlike any amusement park I'd ever been to -- including Disney World. I ordered a turkey sandwich, and a person made it fresh right there in front of me, just like someone would make it in their own kitchen. We feasted on all the cafeteria had to offer, including fresh strawberries and real whipped cream, and then we rode the carousel before saying our goodbyes. It was a bittersweet day, and it was tough to leave everyone, but I was so grateful we were able to spend the day as a family and introduce the next generation to a special place in Henderson history. I think Grandpap would have been so pleased to know that his bride was surrounded by the people she loved.
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3 comments:
thanks for sharing, emmers! sounds like quite the emotionally exhausting few days, but i'm glad you had all your family there to support each other and that you were there for your nana.
Thanks for reading! I realize it was kind of a bummer to go on and on about, but it felt good to share.
Emily, this was such a nice tribute to your Grandpap/family. It's a tough path, but it sounds like Ms. Olga shaped you all up. Bless her heart.
--Casey C.
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