Five years ago, my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. At the time, it wasn’t as heartbreaking for me as it is now. He did not survive the cancer, but I know that somewhere there is a cure. Before he left, Pop gave me a gift. It was a Harry Potter electric train set. When I first received his gift, I set it up right away. The train set amazed me. It made me believe in Harry Potter.
I remember the moment he gave me the present—when he saw my face in awe, and I looked back at him, and he smiled, that little smirk that lit up his face. I remember setting it up with my mother and trying to read those confusing directions. After we finally assembled it, it stayed on my bedroom floor for about three months. I remember playing with the train set all the time with family and friends and hoping that the magical wizard, Harry Potter, would save my grandfather. All across the world, people are dying from diseases everyday. Cancer is a murderer, and few people can live to tell their tale. Many of these illnesses have yet to be solved, and the cause of these diseases remains a mystery. Although my prayers were not answered, I trust that every obscurity can be unraveled.
I regret not taking care of the train set then as I do now. As I got older, I realized that this was the last memory I had of him, so I became more cautious and stored the Harry Potter train set away. I wanted to ensure that it would be safe and in good condition. I believe that the train set sent him to a better place where he is no longer hurt by cancer.
Whenever I see a Harry Potter poster, or book, or movie, it reminds me of my grandpa. It never reminds me of the sad time my family went through, but how we all got closer by overcoming it together. Although I was never really close to him, his death opened my eyes to what really matters in life. I know that somewhere there is a cure for all diseases and people are trying their best to find them. Harry Potter made me believe that anything is possible.