Ever since I was a little girl, I spent almost every moment with my grandparents. If I wasn't with my mom or dad, I was with my Pawpaw and Mawmaw. I enjoyed eating her homemade spaghetti and reading stories on my Pawpaw's lap. I can still remember the stories about the Clown Arounds and the noisy friendly ghost that I could never remember the name of. To this day, even at my age, there’s always something special about going to my grandparent’s house.

About a month ago, my dad told me the news that made every day since then change. My Pawpaw has been fighting gastrointestinal tumors for a few years now ever since the first one the size of a Nerf football was removed. They continued to grow back regardless of the many treatment options he has tried. All my life I never thought of my Pawpaw or Mawmaw ever dying, until the day my dad told me that my Pawpaw was being put in hospice care. As children, we never think that our grandparents could ever be missing from our lives, even though many of our friends have lost theirs. Here are some reasons as why we believe our grandparents are supposed to live forever.

1. No one can ever spoil you the way grandparents can.

From making your favorite dish, to knowing exactly what barbie doll you wanted for Christmas, grandparents will forever understand exactly what makes your heart leap for joy.

2. When your parents were ruining your life, grandparents were always the backup plan.

So, Dad won't let you see a movie you've been wanting to see for a few months? Mawmaw will most likely agree that he’s being unfair and if not, Pawpaw can make you brownies and make that movie look so lame compared to staying in and pigging out with your totally cool grandparents.

3. Stories aren’t told with as much excitement and enthusiasm if just anybody tells it.

Pawpaw always had a different voice for the fox and the stork, and then, the friendly ghost I stated above. Anyone else’s commentary and failed character impressions won’t bring the story to life the way that it’s supposed to be.

4. You have a personal non-judgmental priest

When you do something wrong, and don't want to tell your parents that your GPA wasn't as high as it was supposed to be, your grandparents will focus on building up your self-esteem rather than diminishing it and taking away your laptop. Netflix is safe at their house.

5. Promises are always given and are never broken.

Good behavior in the store always comes with an incentive no matter who you came with. Whereas, with mom, odds are, the candy was just a bluff to make sure we were good. going shopping with Mawmaw creates a higher chance of getting gummy worms like you were promised for being good.

6. No one can love you and provide unconditional love to you the way grandparents can.

Sure, our parents love us to the ends of the earth, but grandparents see mostly the good in all of us. No matter how many bad things we did throughout the year, there will still be the same amount of Christmas presents under the Christmas tree and still the same amount of love that will always have our back no matter what.

Having to face the reality of losing my Pawpaw soon has been a struggle that I've never had to deal with yet, in losing a loved one. With him, I'm losing my personal storyteller, Santa Clause at all of our family Christmas parties, and the decoder to the crossword puzzles I could never guess. I'm losing my best friend and the man who has a heart much like I hope to find in my significant other one day. All that keeps me going is knowing that I will see him again one day, and he will be there for me maybe not in body, but always in my heart. I will see him in the eyes of my father at my college graduation, the prayer blessing my husband and I on our wedding day, and in my child’s smile on the day of their birth. Grandparents may not physically live forever, but they certainly will live forever in our hearts, at least, my Pawpaw will certainly be in mine.