As a ten year old child I never had any real fears. I never dealt with anything that was traumatic or life changing. It all changed the night my mother got a call from her brother telling her she had to drive to Philadelphia, immediately. I had no idea what was going on, I just had to wait with my dad and brothers to see what was so urgent.

I later found out that my grandpa had suffered a major heart attack. I never had anyone in my family die or have something happen to them so I was extremely scared. My grandfather and I are very close so I did not know what to think about what was happening. It was the first time in my life I recognized how quickly life could change and how someone could just be gone forever. It was all too much for me to handle as an innocent child who never had to go through anything serious. For the first time, I realized that every second with someone you love counts because at any time they could be gone forever.

Luckily, my grandpa did not pass and was able to recover from his heart attack. Everyone in my family was terrified, but were relieved to hear the good news.

Once my grandpa was out of the hospital he tried to calm everyone down by telling us a story. He told us how the nurse asked if he had any valuables in his hotel room, because he was there for a business meeting, and that he needed to be brought to the hospital. He told the nurse “Yes, my valuables are all in my safe in my hotel room.”.  My mother went to his hotel to get them, only to find that my grandpa’s “valuables” were really just Italian pastries he had bought earlier that day when he was in Brooklyn. Although he had just went through a severe heart attack, my grandpa was able to lift everyone’s moods by telling this funny story. He always looks for the positive in any situation and he did everything he could to make everyone relax and laugh when they were all so worried and nervous for him. I admire my grandfather for being able to make people laugh and lighten the mood, no matter the situation.

I am not happy that my grandpa had to go through this, but I am thankful he was able to recover and I was thankful that at an early age I learned to appreciate my family and the people around me. This situation really allowed me to mature and realize the value of life.