Humans are put on this earth to do great things but then eventually pass away. In a way, we live to die. As blunt as it sounds, dying is simply a part of life. Without it, life is not complete. It is something that causes much pain and sorrow, but it is beautiful in its own way.

Growing up, I only really experienced the death of my pets. I was not aware of the concept of death. It was so strange for someone to be here and alive one second and then not the next second.

Just this year, I have experienced death, as two of my family members have passed away. It made me stop and realize how short life really is.

As a child, I always feared death and the pain that I thought came with it. However, as I witnessed my two family members passing, I realized death is not nearly as scary to me anymore.

If you think about it, every single person is running out of time, waiting for theirs to be up. We live with so much life, with so many good and bad memories, with so much prosperity, and with an adventurous heart, just so we can feel accomplished when the time comes. As life goes on, it is hard not to take things for granted, although life is short and should be lived to the fullest. 

In October, my family and I celebrated the life of my Great Aunt Mary Kay. She would make my Halloween costumes, gift free lip gloss and mascara from the company she worked for, and would produce a mini children’s play of the nativity scene on Christmas.

My aunt Mary Kay was a fighter. She was someone who I was always intrigued by. She compelled people with her fascinating stories and in the ways she forgave and loved everyone. 

She passed away from uterine cancer, the hard-fought illness that steals the lives of many. She beat it once before, but the second time sadly got the best of her. It is predicted that about 12,940 women will die from uterine cancer this year.

As she was lying in the hospital bed, and as I was rubbing her hand, she made sure to tell her loved ones that it was time. She felt accomplished with her life and knew it was time to say goodbye. 

It is hard not to cry and feel the pain. However, I realized if there was no pain in death, then I did not love hard enough. The constant crying, missing their presence, and not being able to talk to your passed loved one make their death the hardest.

The Friday before this Thanksgiving, my grandfather also passed away from cancer. The loving listener and storyteller he was will forever be missed. As the skilled golfer and football player he was, I like to say I got my athletic abilities from him. 

This year, Thanksgiving was not the same without him. His chair sat empty as the family shared memories of him. When he was first diagnosed with cancer, he remained humble. It is as if he knew his time was coming and therefore he realized to live in the present. 

He began to reach out to family members, to ask more questions, and to just be there. This made me realize how I should be thankful for every single moment in life.

My family was thankful he was no longer in pain and now in peace. As he took his last breaths, he reached his arm up as if he was reaching out for someone or something. As he laid there, he would say “I am at peace” over and over. This certainly made my family feel better about letting him go.

Although it is hard to let go, I know both my great aunt and grandfather are happy together and are at peace right now. 

Death is a hard thing, especially when you love so hard. It is difficult to let go and feel like a piece of you is missing. However, it is part of life and we will all go through it at some point. Life life to the fullest, because one day you will not be able to. 

As time goes on, life and death occur. Even though my family and I were hurt after my losses, it means they were truly loved. I know my aunt Mary Kay and grandfather will forever go down as the loving, inspirational, and caring people they both were.