My Grandma

Ryan B

1445 Oak Terrace

Lake Oswego, Or 97034

ryanbarman@aol.com

Words 475

My Grandma

Most grandparents look old, worn out, and walk slower than dirt. However, my grandma does not fit this description at all. Beautiful, kind, and loving are the words that come to mind when I think of my grandma. Sadly, an evil disease called cancer took her life away. From her I learned that I should live every day like it’s my last.

What seemed like an ordinary wart on her face turned out to be melanoma. Melanoma can be an extremely deadly and common skin cancer. That little lump caused a young woman, who still had a good thirty years to live, to die prematurely. She suffered terribly from that small, seemingly harmless growth.

For the last three months of her life, she suffered from horrendous brain-rattling headaches, to non-stop vomiting. She enjoyed nothing better than cooking food and spending days surrounded by nature. Two of her favorite outdoor activities included bird watching and hiking. Because she loved to cook, I can remember going to her house and smelling the butter melting on the corn, and the hot potatoes simmering on the stove. She was a master cook, but nothing could compare to her famous homemade fried chicken. Because of her sickness, she was sentenced to spend all of her days lying on a rock hard bed listening to sounds of nature on a tape. I hated seeing her suffer like that.

Eventually, in her last days, she went to the intensive care unit. On the last day of her life, she called me into the room. I took a seat on the ice-cold metal bench. It seemed as if searchlights beamed down and isolated me as my grandma began to talk. “ In my whole life I didn’t live to the fullest. I wasted much of my time not doing what I enjoyed.

Ryan B My Grandma pg.2

Don’t make the same mistake.” At that moment the door swung open and the nurse came in and told us to go. When I left the room, the floodgates opened and I broke down crying.

Later that day my grandma passed away. She left this world with an unfinished life. Every day of my life I try to live to the fullest. If I want something, I go out and get it. My homework and playtime have to be balanced, so I don’t overload on one of them. I can’t deny myself the food I crave as long as it’s in moderation. When a risk is presented, I try to take it as often as possible.

From my grandma, I learned how precious life is. There will be many things I don’t understand, but one thing I do know for sure, I will have a life well lived.