THE COVID MONTHS |IN MEMORY OF GRANDAD

Josephine ‘Phine’ Lund LEVINÉ   pays tribute to her grandfather, Peter.

My granddad meant a lot to me. Not just because he was my granddad, but also because he was a kind, funny and caring man, who had the ability to make people feel both seen and heard. Despite living in two different countries, we kept in contact through emails and long conversations on Facetime in between our visits to Denmark and England. He always made me feel understood and supported, even when I doubted myself the most. He is the reason why I was able to finish my studies and he would calmly talk to me on the phone when I was feeling lost and needed guidance. He is the reason why I try to stay curious and seek out new music, films and literature (three of our most favorite topics of conversation) and I would always look forward to his recommendations, which would usually be accompanied by a little word of wisdom or a witty remark. He had a calmness about him that people would gravitate towards and I will always remember the sense of warmth and understanding that I would get from talking to him, no matter how serious or silly our conversations would be. He was much loved and he will be deeply missed. I am not able to attend <the funeral> today, but I will be remembering him today by re-reading the small, personal messages that he would write in the margins of the books that he gave me.