For as far back as I can remember my grandma and grandpa have always been there for my sister and I. We lived with them for years and when we didn't live with them we still managed to hang out at their house at least once a week. When I was 15 years old I found out that my grandpa had cancer and a few months after that he and my grandma told our family that they were going to stop his chemotherapy treatments because that wasn't how he wanted to spend the last months of his life. I made sure to spend as much time with him as possible in those last few months that he was alive but I never took the time to tell him all of the things he had done for me and to thank him. Now, looking back, I know exactly what I would have said.
1) Thank you for loving my unconditionally.
You reminded me every day that you loved me no matter how many times I bothered you for a ride to a friends house or asked you for the last 20 dollars in your wallet. You never once complained to me about all of the things that I asked of you and you rarely ever said no. Thank you for never failing to make me feel like I was loved and cared for, even if most days I did nothing to deserve it.
2) Thank you for teaching me that all life is valuable.
You had an admirable amount of love for all life whether it be your friends and family or an injured bird that you nursed back to health. You taught me so much about compassion and love and it was because of you that I realized that every life is precious and should be treated as such. I try to always be kind to those around me, whether it's a stranger who could use a smile or a little bug in my house who should be brought outside instead of squished. Thank you for teaching me not to take any life for granted.
3) Thank you for finding a way to get through to me.
Whether it was a mess that I left in the kitchen or getting in trouble at school for being late to class, you always found a way to encourage me to reflect on my behavior and get me to understand why I was wrong. You never yelled at me or made me feel bad about myself but instead you told me you were disappointed and tried to teach me how to learn from my mistake so as not to make the same one again all while reminding me that you loved me and that I was still a good kid. Thank you for teaching me that it's okay to make mistakes.
4) Thank you for always being on my side.
If I had an argument with a friend or my parents I could always count on you to listen to my problems, tell me that you agree with me, and find a way to cheer me up (usually in the form of Taco Bell). You would tell me weird jokes just to make me smile and if that didn't work you'd turn on the radio and ask me to dance with you. Once I was happy again you reminded me that everything would work out and that you were there for me if I still needed to talk about it. Thank you for being a friend in those moments.
Thank you for all of this and for the last lesson you taught me, to tell the people that I love what they mean to me while i still have the opportunity to do so.
