Remembering

Memorial Day is about more than gravesites. I don’t know how many Stenzels have memories of Mom’s dad, so I thought I would share a few today. The original “Papa”, Paul J. Perrizo was a man of contrasts. I remember the hoarse, harsh, “Quiet down now!” that he would shout from the back of the Roxy as the lights went out and the movie began to light the big screen. I also remember the ineffable dignity of this man – proud and gentle, stern and loving, cautious but playfully generous.

I did a lot of traveling with Papa. We’d make trips to pick up reels of film, and we’d always stop and have lunch in the fanciest restaurant in St. Peter. He was a great kidder, but his greatest gift to me was a lesson about relationships with children. He never seemed to treat me as just a child. He saw me and my brothers and sisters as people. Don’t get me wrong. There was never a shred of doubt who was in charge when spending time with Papa, but he genuinely enjoyed me for who I was and who I was becoming.

He remains one of my all-time favorite people. I miss him, but I continue to love him dearly.