The news of Andy Griffith's passing this morning saddens me. I grew up watching Andy on TV, both on “The Andy Griffith” show and on “Matlock.” Both shows kind of hold a special meaning to me.
When I was young my father never really had a lot of time for me, but every couple of months there would be a marathon where his favorite show was on, and I could spend several hours sitting there with him watching TV and generally just being with him.
My relationship with him has grown and changed over the years, especially in the past year as I've been able to spend more time with him and get to know him better, but my earliest memories are of watching “The Andy Griffith” show marathons with him on the couch.
Flash forward a couple of years, my parents divorced, I was living with my grandma and grandpa while mom got back on her feet. They often would put “Matlock” on TV in the afternoons and I got to watch TV with my “papa,” despite not having much of a relationship with him either.
As an adult I realize why my relationship with him was strained a bit, but as a seven-year old kid I didn't. But we again managed to bond over Andy Griffith, much like I had with my father.So when I saw this morning of Griffith's passing, I was sad, much more so than one normally would be over an actor, whom I have never met. That being because while Griffith may have just been doing his job, he was so much more than just a face on TV to me, he allowed me to build lasting memories with both my father and grandfather.
Griffith will best be remembered for being an actor, but for those that don't know or remember, he was a fantastic comedian as well. I highly recommend checking out some of his bits that are available for download through Itunes or some other downloading mechanism. You won't be sorry.
Thanks for the memories Mr. Griffith, you will be missed.
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