My grandpa was a man who for the most part kept to himself.  He never liked to be the center of attention; in life and now in heaven with his mom, daughter, and son.  He would not want us to focus on just him or the sadness of his leaving, but instead, he would want us to focus on the happiness that we had and will continue to have.  He would want us to appreciate our future.

There was a quote I once read and reminded me of him:
“The happiness of a man in this life does not consist In the absence, but in the mastery of his passions.”
With that being said, we all know that he had many passions – but his knowledge and strong heart and soul taught me never to give up.

One thing I’ll always remember about my grandpa was when I was in middle school, I so badly wanted to run for student body president, but I wasn’t the best writer.  I don’t remember exactly where we were, but I do remember writing in a notebook (my speech), and he had asked me what I was doing…I told him and also said that I was just about ready to give up…He asked me why – and I simply said, “I can’t write my speech.”  Then, he said…“Well, Mattsons are not quitters and just go for it even if you lose.”  He encouraged me, shared his intelligence with me, and helped me write my whole speech – which of course, had a lot of humor in it…that’s just the kind of man he was.

As humble, funny, and loving my grandpa was, he will always be remembered by those of us who knew and loved him.  We have to keep within us the good feelings of the happy and priceless memories…like the very many times when Jonathan would go into Grandpa’s room to give him a hug when it was time to go back to his mom’s house – Grandpa was always sleeping (he was like a bear); or, when Nicole would catch Grandpa off guard and asks him, “Gramps, do you remember me?” and his answer was always, "Babe, I don’t even remember who I am;” or, the time Jovita went in his room, only to see Grandpa having a conversation with Pacquiao, his best friend (a Chihuahua), and told her to come back later because they were talking; or, when Marjo and Grandpa watched the premiere of Two and a Half Men, Grandpa kept bickering on and on because Charlie Sheen was fired from the show (I’m sure was hilarious); or, the very few times Juvir and Jumel spent with Grandpa – how he knew just what to talk about; and, how Anne, knew just what kind of personality Grandpa had - full of humor and had plenty of sarcastic remarks. And, never to forget, his youngest granddaughter, Joanne, would often go into his room, and his arms would always be wide open just to give her a hug.  There is no doubt that we will miss him, his smile, his jokes, his open arms, and his love.