“Never smoke because you want to live long” the last words my great aunt said to me. My great aunt Valerie wasn’t just family but my best friend and my hero. She was very wise. If you were to ever look at her, you would notice she didn’t have much hair but she had a smile that could light up the world. She always smiled even though she had lung cancer. She was so friendly to everyone and was very funny. She was the glue that kept our family together. She believed “Holidays are for families to share” and because of her feelings upon family gatherings, we would always get together on Thanksgiving and Christmas at my great grandmas house. Without her I probably would be who I am today. She was always happy and stayed positive and when she spoke you listened.

My great aunt Valerie stayed positive and kept a smile on her face even though she had lung cancer. Lung cancer is when there are abnormal cells in one lung or both lungs. Lung cancer can be caused by smoking. Her favorite scripture was “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). This quote helped her through the hard times. She always loved to make people laugh and smile. When you got hurt, she knew what to do because she was once a nurse and had a gentle touch. My great aunt Valerie would tell everyone to “take care of yourself” because she wanted nothing but the best for them. She was positive to everyone and kept smiling no matter what. The doctors said “When she passed away she died with a smile on her face”. She passed away in the year of 2007 and she was only 60 years old. Knowing that no matter what happened she smiled keeps me going even when situations get bad. When I feel like there is nothing right anymore, I feel as if she gives me a sign that everything will be okay.

There are somethings that she told me that meant a lot to me but one was “never smoke because you want to live long”. My great aunt Valerie told me this before she passed and I will never forget this. Her saying this has stayed with me because even though she is not physically here I know she is looking down at me and I would never want to disappoint her. She just wanted to make sure everyone took care of themselves. Although she passed 7 year ago, I feel as if she is still here guiding me to make the right choices. When I am unsure of anything, she gives me a sign to help me do the right thing. I never plan on ever smoking because if I was to that would mean that I did not listen to her.

The day she passed was a hard day for the whole family because she had left such a mark on everyone’s heart. It kills me to think about her passing but I know without this life changing experience I would not be who I am today. Someone in the street may have seen her as just another person; however, friend and family saw her as a sweet, kidding , loving, amazing, positive person with an amazing smile. My great aunt was a person who if you talked to for only 5 minutes you would love her. She wasn’t just a sister, aunt, daughter, or great aunt but a best friend who left an imprint on your heart. “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” she told many people. I am always trying to make her proud. She isn’t just my great aunt, she is my hero. She made me who I am today and she has taught me to always keep my chin up when situations seem to get worse and do what is right.