On March 17, I sat holding my grandfather's hand, keeping in mind that his days on this

physical earth were numbered. I talked to him about all the exciting things coming up in the next few months. The night before my visit, I had explained to my parents that I needed to go and see him. I sat in bed, thinking back to the times when he would bring me for a walk, or when he act so excited to see my new toy I got. I was thinking back to the time he compromised his nine-thirty bedtime, to come and see me be presented as Rummel’s Homecoming Queen. He was such a proud husband, father, and grandfather. My grandpa had so many great qualities, but most importantly, he was wise. Sitting by his side, holding his hand, I learned an important lesson. Because these older men and women are so wise, you should not only cherish your time with your older family members, but learn from them while you can.

Looking back on my grandfather’s life, I recognized how much he had to teach us. If I followed what society says about the older generation, I probably would have believed he was a senior citizen who could not do much. I would have never learned about how he got through the death of his father at about the age of 10, or how he paid for his high school tuition at the age of 14. Both are two things I often take for granted. My grandfather worked extremely hard to provide for his mom and several siblings. Even later in life, he still dedicated his life to making
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sure everyone else around him was happy. He had so much to be proud of, yet he was always humble. His story has so much worth, and has taught me how to be a better Julia.

With that being said, this morning I spent with him, the day before he passed, was a memory I will hold onto forever. I told myself, standing in the ICU, that I would go in there and tell him how grateful I was to be his granddaughter. With numerous voice cracks, and a lot of tears, I managed to tell him this well-deserved thank you. I told him how much I was going to miss him, and how fortunate I was to have him as my grandfather. It was this moment I realized how blessed I am because of the people I am surrounded by. Later the next day, on March 18, my grandfather passed, and left my family and I with his belongings, memories, and lessons.

Before he went in for his surgery, I lived every day thinking I was guaranteed to see my loved ones the next day. Although it is not always easy to accept, it is the hard truth of life. But if we do not take advantage of this time with people, we will miss out on this. Teens nowadays can not go five seconds without looking at their iPhones. I would like to encourage people to look up from your phones, and just take time to embrace having these elders around. I can assure you they are the most knowledgable people in my life. Learn from them while you can, and never take a second spent with them for granted. Because of the morning of March 17, I will always recognize how intelligent these older men and women are, and despite societial beliefs, how many valuable lessons they can bring to my life.