My grandparents were two of my biggest role models. 62 years of marriage, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren were always talking about Grandpa George and Grandma Barb. My grandpa served in the military, and later guarded the airplanes for the National Guard. I still remember him taking my sister and I there, staring up at those huge planes. He later retired and lived out the rest of his life riding the lawn mower every morning, cooking breakfast (biscuits and gravy was his specialty), and spending a lot of time talking with my dad. We lost Grandpa George on January 17th, 2016 and it was the hardest thing I've ever seen my family go through.

On September 12, 2017, my grandma Barb passed away suddenly. We did not expect this at all and it felt like a second jab to the heart all over again. It didn't hit me at first, and then I realized that I'll never hear her call me "Katie-Doo" again, a family nickname given to be by my dad. I won't hear her talk shit about Trump, or give my grandpa a hard time for her meal not being precisely how she wanted it to be. I won't get to hear her tell us that even though she gives grandpa a hard time, she is so thankful for him taking care of her and always making sure she's okay.

One thing I've learned over the years to help with the loss of someone close to you is to just cry. Take some time off of school or work, and just give yourself to think about the little things and cry it out. It's normal and completely necessary.

Next is to look through pictures. Crying and this step go hand in hand. You'll be reminded of a lot of memories that will bring up a lot of emotions.

Get closure. For a lot of people, the steps of a loss start with denial, and move onto remorse and then seeking closure. It's important for everyone to get this, whether it be getting some of the ashes, going to the funeral or just talking with others about your relationship with the person; do this step.

In the end, you will always be reminded of the person you lose, it might be in a song or a place you used to go to. Sometimes it hurts, but at the same time it's nice because you almost sense their presence.

I'll put on my grandpa's records of Hank Williams Jr., jam while I do my homework, and read about me and my grandma's best friend Obama. I'll feel them around me when I'm in times of need, when I graduate college, and when my older sister finally has her first kid.