It's been eight years in August since my maternal grandfather passed away to live with the Heavenly Father, and I still haven't gotten over it. Just typing that sentence makes my head spin because it feels like just yesterday that he left.

The death of a loved one is a hard thing to get over, especially if you were really close. I remember going over to his house so often growing up, especially after school and during holidays. We had our own little rituals for everything we did, and that's something you can't forget.

The main thing to understand about someone no longer being here with us is that their love never leaves your heart. Their love is the thing that triggers those emotional reactions you get when you remember them.

When my grandfather passed away right before my freshman year of high school, it ripped me in half. I had just gotten over moving so far away from him and the rest of my family and friends, and then he passed away. I never truly got to say goodbye, and he never got to see me perform in any band concerts or competitions in person, but he was there watching over me.

The love from someone who cared deeply for you never goes away because a little piece of them is inside of you. You are a product of everyone who has had a hand in your life, good or bad. Those emotions and experiences shape who you end up becoming.

I've been told that "you will eventually get over it," and I can tell you that is false. Grieving is hard and time does heal all wounds, but you won't get over it. The pain just lessens until you can't feel it anymore, and it comes back up when something reminds you of those good times.

For me, before any big event is hard because I know none of my grandparents will be there when so many of my friends have theirs. I'm graduating college in about nine months, and those tears you will see me cry during and after is not because I'm finally free from college. It's because my Nana and Grandad were not there to physically be there to congratulate, but I know that they are proud because of the little pieces of their love that surround my heart.