As Thanksgiving gets closer, we think about the many things that we are thankful for in our lives. I myself am of course thankful for many things of my own. Those include my friends, food, the freedom of speech, my education, and of course my family.

But as I think about the aspect of family, I feel like I should give thanks to the family members that are no longer in my life anymore because they have moved on to a happier life with no pain or suffering anymore. Just this year, I lost two close family members: my great Aunt Evelyn and my great Uncle Pete. They weren't married because Aunt Evelyn was from my dad's side and Uncle Pete was from my mom's side. They both had big impacts on my life, even with how only I was able to have them in my tiny 19 years.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, and while I might be in the mindset of Christmas, I just want to say some quick thanks to the people who are watching me from above type this. Thanks to the people who have passed on, but made a lasting impression on me. My grandparents who died before their time.

Let's start with the earliest memory which is my grandma. I lost her in 2008 to cancer, but I know that she's seen me go from a tiny curious third grader to a grown woman over the past nine years since her death. I know she has only been there for 9 years of my life, but I bet she is proud of what I have accomplished in the past years.

Second, and I know these will be hard, is my nana whom I lost back in 2014 to breast cancer. She may be my other grandma, but she was someone from the older generation that I would look up to. Whenever I see some things that remind me of her, I would break out into tears and I wouldn't care about it. I just wish cancer didn't have to take her life like it did with grandma, but I know that she is in a better place now.

Third and last but not least, my pop. The husband of my nana who died of a heart attack a year and a half after nana's death which came as a shocker. I come home from such an amazing band practice only to hear that my pop is now gone. One of the worst days of my life. But, he isn't hurting from heartbreak anymore. He is with my nana now and that's the happiest one on my mom's side of the family can see him as.

I know that I still have my grandpa, but even with those three grandparents now gone forever, they have helped make me the person I am today. I still think of them on a daily basis, and I wish they were here alive and happy and not sick. But they are happy and not sick and very much alive in my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving, guys. I miss you.