At some point in our lives, we will all lose someone we love. As I've gotten older, I've come to understand the truth in the old saying, "Death is a part of life." I have lost two important people in my life. They both happened to be my grandparents.

Grandparents really don't get enough credit for how incredible they are. I was blessed to be close with my great grandma and grandma. But due to the fact that I was older when my grandmother died, I was closer with her.

Losing anyone you are close to is hard. Your heart literally aches during that loss. But I believe losing a grandparent creates a grief different than any other.

Our grandparents really are the reason for everything good in our lives. Without them, we wouldn't even be here (literally). Our traditions that we grow up with more than likely relate back to them. Those family dinners usually revolve around going to our grandparents' home or using one of their recipes. Holidays are usually spent with grandparents. And spending the night at your grandparents' house, no matter how old you are, is always better than spending the night at home.

Now, you may or may not realize all of these things as you spend time with your grandparents, but I did. As I got older, all of these things became more and more apparent. Then suddenly one day, my grandma was not here anymore. Her vibrant laugh, personality, jokes... everything was gone.

Losing a grandparent is hard. I don't even think "hard" is the right word for it. Losing a grandparent you are close with really changes your perspective on things.

I began to pay more attention to older people in my life, those I knew personally and those I did not. I would notice older ladies at the store buying things to bake a cake for their grandkids. I would notice older individuals out at dinner. At first, it made me miss my grandma even more. I would think, "That should be her."

Losing a grandparent you're close to allows you to appreciate the wisdom of those older than you. You begin to notice older people everywhere you go. You notice their dynamics with their grandchildren. You notice everything about them. More than likely, you will see someone at least once a week who reminds you of the grandparent you lost.

Losing my grandma taught me to appreciate every moment we have. I see people all the time who do not respect or understand the true impact that their grandparents have on their life. If you are close with your grandparents, please hold them close to your heart for as long as you can. Soak up every single moment and opportunity you have to spend time with them. Because unfortunately, once they are gone, you won't get them back.

If you have lost a grandparent you were close to, I am so sorry. I truly understand your pain. But I also understand that in a lot of ways, we have an advantage. We got to be close to some of the most incredible people on this planet. They are wise, respectable and full of integrity. They lived their lives, and we got to experience a lot of amazing things through them. What an honor.