I only met one of my grandpas. He was the most determined person I ever knew.

He would fix roofs under the oppressive Georgia sun. He would make a garden sprout in the harshest soil. He would help neighbors with their projects. And if you ever needed to borrow a ladder or a tool he’d drop everything he was doing and bring it right over to you.

Keeping going is the dominant gene in our family. No one knows how to stop even when our bodies are worn and sick and tell us to.

For a couple of days this week, I allowed myself not to be like him.