The Loss of Someone Special        
I can still remember the day I lost my best friend, it feels as if it was just yesterday. I was in third grade at the time, on the bus ride home from school. I always got off with all the neighbors; Tyler, Meaghan, Kevin, and Daniel. Walking, talking, down the big hill that seemed miles and miles away from our houses. All of us kept laughing and having a great time. We all enjoyed walking home together because we would tell each other the interesting stories about what happened that day. It was a good day to say the least, even though I was at school all day.

Once I walked through the door into my house, my whole world changed, and not for the good, I just didn’t realize it yet. My brother, Austin, was already home, and my parents were still at work. I walked past my brother not saying much, just heading to my room. Not too long after, Austin walked in. I could tell something was going on by the worried look on his face.

“Em...”, he paused, having a tragic look plastered on his face. “I have to tell you something”, he said as he stared at the floor.

His eyes started to get watery, tears fell to the ground like drops of water from a faucet as he started to talk, and he finally told me,

“Grandpa got taken off the ventilator.” He told me as he wiped away more tears. I started to get worried. “Emma, grandpa didn’t make it through the night, he couldn’t breath on his own.”

Immediately I stopped what I was doing, dropped all the clothes I had in my hands, and broke into tears. I kept telling myself it wasn't real, he couldn't be gone, not now. All of our memories rolled through my head, from the first time going to their house to the last time seeing him in the hospital, just thinking that those were the last memoirs I would have with him. I thought about the last time I saw him, he was in the hospital, never did it cross my mind that he would leave. I didn't want to believe he was gone, but when my parents came home with a clay handprint of his and told me the news, I knew it had to be true no matter how much I wanted it to be a dream. I thought about the last time I saw him, he was in the hospital, never did it cross my mind that he would leave and I would never see him again. After losing him, it made me think that I have to cherish the little things in life because I never know when they will be gone and not come back.

At the funeral, my mom, dad, brother, and I all went in first to see him. Right once I stepped foot into the room I lost it, walking up to the casket it only got worse and worse with every step. I stared at the casket, seeing the one person I looked up to laying there, surrounding by some of his things, glasses, pipe, flowers, pictures.  As I stood there, I had realized that not only my grandpa, but my hero and my best friend were gone, and I wouldn't see him again. I wouldn’t have the man I looked up to in my life anymore

Him passing left a big impact on my life, feeling like war just hit and losing everything. Every time we have a family party and him not being there anymore is very odd, nothing really feels the same as it did when he was there. Every February we have a special tradition that my grandpa always did, he would make chicken and dumplings for the February birthdays. At the funeral my grandma had told my brother he will have to take over making them.

“Even though you always ate the dough, you also helped grandpa make them.” My grandma told my brother as she was getting choked up. “Grandpa would want you to take over making them so he knows they are being made right.” She said with a smile.

A few days after the funeral, we went over to my grandparents house to go through my grandpa’s stuff. My dad's side of the family all knew the things they wanted to keep. I sat on the couch staring off like a deer in headlights as I watched everyone scramble around the house getting what they wanted. I had to make sure that I got something before everything was all gone. I walked into the bedroom and stopped at the doorway, staring at a picture that was staring back at me as if we were having a staring contest. I knew I had to have it, and it would probably be the only thing I would have of him, so my grandma told me to take it. I had made sure that I went through pictures and found the ones of me and my grandpa so I could always have those to relive our memories. the eagle soared swaying side to side.

Around the end of summer, my dad's side of the family, along with mine, usually go camping. We always see an eagle when we are out on the river, everyone says it is my grandpa watching over us.

“Oh look, grandpa is with us.” My grandma always points out to everyone. 

We all stare as the eagle soares through the sky, swaying side to side. I know that my grandpa didn’t want to miss out on the fun, so he decided to come and join us to make sure we were safe. Whenever I see the eagle, I think to myself that my grandpa is missed dearly by everyone. He’s gone but never forgotten.