A Heart-Breaking Moment in Time

March 26 of the year that I was 10 years old made a huge impact on me. Before I begin telling you about my childhood memory, I want to share a little background information. My grandma had been sick for a few years and she was in and out of the hospital for a while. She ended up getting to the point where she had to come live with us because the doctor put her on hospice. I had always been close to her growing up, but when she lived with us for a year and a half, we became a lot closer. As my grandma’s health got worse, they decided to readmit her into the hospital because they knew her final days were coming.

On that Monday afternoon, everyone in my family came to visit her. We reminisced on the good memories, cried, and cherished each second we had with her. No one knew when she would take her last breath and although she was in a coma, we all wanted to hold her hand and make sure she knew that we would be there until the very end. Eventually, my grandma’s breathing began slowing down and multiple times we thought “this is it,” but she continued living.

Soon the night fell and it was time for my sister and I to go home since we had school the next day. It was so hard for us to say goodbye, but I hoped and prayed that she would magically be better when I got out of school the next day. On the way home, my sister and I cried so hard. Our grandma meant everything to us and we loved her so much. When we got home and were settled in, my sister’s phone rang but she was too busy at the moment, so I answered it for her. My mom was on the other end and with sadness in her voice, she simply said “She passed away.” I remember that moment so vividly and it still haunts me to this day. I began weeping and weeping. My mom quickly realized that it was me that answered and apologized over and over again because she thought it was my sister on the phone and not me. She didn’t want me to find out first because I was so young, but unfortunately, I did. In the other room, my sister heard me sobbing and she began doing the same once she realized the news I had just been told. I believe the most heart-breaking moment I remember from that day is when I went into my parents’ room and fell onto my knees, crying out, “Why did you have to go? Why?” I could feel my heart breaking as I slid down the wall.

My sister and I both came to the conclusion that my grandma had waited for us to leave because she didn’t want us to see her go. We had already gone through so much while taking care of her at our house and somehow she sensed that it would be even harder for us if we watched her pass away. Death is an extremely hard thing to go through and it’s tough to lose someone you love, but it’s inevitable. I’m thankful for every moment I was able to spend with my grandma and I can’t wait to see her when I get to Heaven!