My grandma was an awful guitar player, but she played and sang for my siblings and I all the time. “You Are My Sunshine” was her favorite song to play. The song was also my favorite song she ever taught me and I sang it for hours. Our jam sessions and games are why her death had a huge impact on my life. It was a significant event because it taught me life’s short so love while you can, to cherish the memories she left behind, and to be strong when it’s over.
 

Everyday while my mom was at work my siblings and I went to my grandparents house. At the time my parents couldn’t afford daycare, so she brought us there. My grandpa would give us all a dollar, my grandma would tell us she loved us, and we would say it right back. Spending everyday together we became very close. Having fun was her main priority. She let us do all kinds of fun activities like read with her, sing with her, and run around naked. Being the baby of the family naturally I needed the most help and got the most attention. This made my grandma and I closer than her other grand kids.

I am her youngest grandchild, so I was young when she died, but old enough to remember the fun times we had together. From fishing to playing bike derby, we were always outside. While fishing one day something wet landed on my brothers head. Thinking it was raining, we went home. Turns out the wet drop was bird poop. Being creative was easy for us so we played games like bike derby. It’s played by riding your bike around and hitting other bikes. While playing the game, I took my hands off my tric and started talking to my grandma. Then from out of nowhere my sister comes crashing into the back of me, knocking me off my bike, and causing a rock to scrape my head. I bled and cried for hours, with my grandma holding me tight the whole time. My grandma died November 3rd 2004 at age 66. The night of her death we went back to her house with the northern lights shining above our heads. It was the first time I had ever seen them. Looking above her house there was a big pink ball of the lights. People say that young children can see angels. That night I saw my grandma. My mom told me that I was staring at the pink ball saying “Oh, grandma you look so beautiful.”

People say the first is always the worst, this case was no exception. My grandma had a sudden heart attack. In the ambulance on her way to the hospital she died but was revived. She was very scared, because she didn’t see the light. The hospital admitted her for a couple days, then on the day she was getting released she got a staph infection caused by unsanitary tools in the hospital. It killed her. Hearing the news it didn’t feel real. My closest friend had been ripped apart from me. Crying for a long time was not a good solution, so I learned to be strong. Because her life couldn’t go on doesn’t mean that mine couldn’t.

My grandma’s death was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced, but some good came out of it. I’ve learned that life is short, so love people while you can, cherish the memories she left behind not the pain that came with it, and be strong because life will go on. My grandma was an awful guitar player, but she played for her grand kids to put a smile on our faces. We were her pride and joy, so to show us that she filled the sky with beautiful colors to once again put a smile on our faces.