When I heard the news, I felt like someone who had lost their soul. As I walked in the door, My father was sitting on the couch, his head was down, and his back was slumped over. When he looked up, the first thing I saw was my dad’s depressed face. My father had bloodshot eyes as red as an apple, and there were tears streaming down his face. Then I peered through the door of my sister's bedroom, and saw her weeping as she was on her bed. I heard the TV in the background, and my father said, " Can you come here Bret?" When I sat on the couch he said in a gloomy voice, “Your grandfather has passed.” The dinner my mother was cooking no longer smelled good, and I felt upset. My stomach ached, tears rolled down my face, and my mind went blank. I then began to think of my grandfather. I saw him in my mind. I saw his favorite white shirt, his brown shorts, and his lucky black shoes. His hair was white like a ferocious polar bears coat. He was tall and he had a medium build. He was a soft warm, man. He was always kind to people and he always had a soft touch.

This was the first important person in my life to die. We knew this was coming after my dad visited my grandfather in Oregon and brought back special gifts from him. I thought about the shirts, watch, a special hat my grandfather had worn, and memories of when he visited us here. I could picture my grandfather on the couch watching football, or watching the videos we sent him when he was sick hoping he would get better.

After the next morning we were getting ready for school. Everyone was silent all morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about my grandfather. I was silent until I was at school. I had to talk, but still I was still thinking about him. When I got home I did my homework, then my dad said “Can you come here please?” I walked over to him and he said, “Even though your grandfather is gone, he is with you.” At that moment I didn’t know what that mean, but near the end of the school year when I heard that I was going to be in regular classes I knew my grandfather was watching over me. If my grandfather were here today, he would be so proud of me. Then I knew what my father meant. Even if he is gone he is still living inside my soul.