Whenever someone suggests to "just say your grandparent died" as an excuse to miss class, I feel my fists clench a bit, because how could someone be perfectly okay with throwing the life of a person so close to them out the window for the sake of missing a class. Maybe it's because their grandparents are still kicking it and living life with no signs of slowing down. Perhaps they don't believe in karma, or maybe they don't see how the possibility of losing even just one of their grandparents could change the way they live their life.

By the time I was 12 years old, I had lost all of my grandparents. While I definitely hurt and understood the heaviness of the situation, I really wasn't mature enough to have appreciated them as much as I should have while they were alive. Of course I loved them and valued my time with them and looked forward to being with them, but looking back, I didn't treasure the memories I was making with them as much as I wish I had.

Even though I missed them every day and especially on days when I would have normally seen or talked to them, the fact that they were gone so early from my life didn't really hit me until my high school graduation. While I sold my extra ticket to someone so their grandparent could come watch them walk the stage and plenty of other students asked endlessly if anyone could spare a ticket for their grandma or grandpa, it finally clicked with me how many more important moments my grandparents wouldn't be there to see.

Losing your grandparents early deprives you of the chance to truly understand their jokes, stories and lessons. Although you can hear memories from other people that cause you to remember bits and pieces of your time with them, it isn't the same as actually securing those memories with them. Although it's sad to think about how many moments my grandparents won't be here to see, I know I have four angels watching over me, making sure I'm safe.

Every time I play solitaire, walk through a garden or hear someone humming, I think of my Mema. Whenever I play pool or hear a Beatles song, I remember counting the hairs on my Papa's head and telling him he only had about 20 hairs left—even though it was definitely more than that. When I eat Moon Pies, wear the necklace he gave me or look at pictures of my dog that passed away, I think about visiting my Grandpa and wandering around his apartment. And even though I never knew my Grandma, I definitely think about her whenever my mom makes certain foods or when I see Häagen-Dazs ice cream.