"Before it's too late" by Deanna O

      One of the worst days of my life started off as ordinary. That morning started off like any
other morning. I ran down the stairs with my backpack in one hand and my sweater in the other. My sister yelled and complained that I was going to be late for school. I stuffed my grey sweater inside my backpack, grabbed my shoes and ran out the door and into the car. I was hurriedly putting my shoes on in the back of the car. When we arrived at my middle school, I booked it and ran straight for my classroom. I walked in just as the bell rang and I let out a sigh of relief, one more tardy and I would have had a detention. I dropped my backpack onto my desk and placed my homework on my desk. I was talking with my friend right across from me, when a TA walked in and gave the teacher a slip. Usually, this meant someone was going home or to the office, but mostly to go home. Everyone was watching, waiting and hoping that their name would be called so they could go home, me along with them. To my surprise, the teacher called my name and told me I was going home. My brow furrowed in confusion. I glanced up at the clock, I had only been in class for 20 minutes. I thought maybe I had a doctors appointment I didn't know about but that did not seem right. There was another possible explanation in the back of mind, but I did not let myself think about it. I was happy to go home and I walked out of the classroom with a spring in my step until I opened the office doors and I saw my older sister. Her eyes were red-rimmed like she had just been crying and her black hair was wet and disheveled. I walked straight to her and asked what was wrong. She just shook her head sadly at me and led me outside by the hand. My heart raced with anxiousness. Once we got into the car, I saw my younger sister in the backseat of the car with a worried expression on her face. My oldersister let out a deep breath before she finally told us that our abuela had passed away that morning. Her

voice broke as she spoke the words. I didn’t know what to say or do and all I could do was stare at the window. We drove to my abuela's house and the whole family was there. Everyone was sharing their favorite memories of her and crying. In that moment, I felt like a monster because I wasn’t crying. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t. The next day we went to the wake, the drive there was sad and quiet, and no one bothered to turn on the radio to fill the silence because everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Even our footsteps were solemn as we walked into the building. When I walked into the room, I could see her lying in the coffin. My heart stopped when I saw her. Her eyes were closed and it looked like she was only sleeping, but I knew better. I slowly walked closer to her and I felt my lip quiver. I realized that tears had started to roll down my cheeks and they wouldn’t stop. I don’t remember walking out. I do faintly remember my older sister pulling me into her arms and whispering comforting words in my ear. My other older sister joined in and my younger sister hugged my waist. I could not comprehend what was happening. She was here and then she wasn’t. Death was something I saw in the movies or something that I read about, not something that happened in real life. I don’t think the reality of it all hit me until then. I realized that I wouldn’t hold her hand and I wouldn’t see her on the porch waiting for me. I didn't realize all the things that I took for granted. The things that I should have appreciated before they were gone. 

     Life is short, there is not nearly enough time with the people that we love. Ever since that day, I make sure to say “I love you” before I hang up the phone and I will always forgive. At the end of the day, nothing is more important than family and sometimes we take them for granted.