When this granddaughter departs, her grandfather follows her in the car to bid her farewell. Here’s the backstory to their delightful custom.
An 89-year-old grandfather’s “goodbye runs” have become a treasured family tradition. Eska Miller has spent his entire life running to see his granddaughter Haley Gomez before she dies.
And now, the sweet gesture is making everyone cry on the internet!
Why Grandpa Runs After the Car to Say Goodbye
The tradition started when she was a baby and he was more agile. Her parents would load Haley into the car. Eska began to jog ahead a few feet while they made sure she was snug as a bug and safely secured in her car seat.
Haley’s grandfather would run after her parents as they drove away from the house and onto the road, waving, smiling, and saying simply but profoundly, “Goodbye, see you next time, I love you.”
Now that Haley is older and well into adolescence, she realizes her grandfather’s goodbye runs after the car are a one-of-a-kind tradition. He started something unique as a way of saying, “I love you.” This lovely young lady realized how special her grandfather is and began filming these special occasions.
A Treasured Family Tradition
Eska’s first goodbye is touching, as he shuffles his feet into a run before slowing down to smile and wave. The next time Grandpa chases the car, it’s late at night. It’s pitch black outside, and the only light sources are car headlights and porch lights. Eska, on the other hand, appears to have carved a groove in the sidewalk because the darkness does not deter him from running to say his final goodbyes.
Haley then combined all of these brief goodbyes with a message of wisdom far beyond her years. “He has done this my entire life,” she wrote. “This is the stuff that memories are made of.” “Hopefully, I’ll be able to do it with my grandchildren one day,” she added.
Wow! Yes, Haley, we all hope you get to carry on this tradition with your grandchildren and tell them about their great-great-grandfather. How powerful is grandparental love?