Journal #7 - My "Caribou's" Impact

My grandma died last year from cancer. As her granddaughter, my cousin's and I called her Bou because her favorite pin was a Christmas caribou. Bou was the mother of three sons (my dad and my two uncles), a mother-in-law, a wife, a grandmother, and most importantly, a great friend. She battled multiple types of cancer before the lung cancer took her, and when she died, it was as if time had stopped for my entire family. Everything seemed bleek, and nothing seemed to matter. Some of her last actions were donating a large portion of her money to various charities, a purely selfless action, and then wishing instead of a funeral, we would celebrate her life at a party. After the death of my grandma, I, like every other eleven year old child, took life and what I had for granted. Bou used to always buy me lots of presents every Christmas, give me many hugs and kisses when she visited, and called us every week. I never understood how special it was to have someone so special to care for me like her until she was gone. After we found out that the cancer had taken my grandma's life, I finally realized that the essential value in life is that it is a gift rather than a given. To have the life I do is an honor, and I should cherish it. Many people out there are suffering, and I’m considered a lucky one. I used to think that getting braces or having a cold was bad, but now I realize that there are so many other things in the world that are so much worse than those two things. Having a sister was something I viewed as natural. I thought everyone had a sister, and so there was nothing special about it. Now, after Bou's death, I treasure my sister because anything unexpected could happen to her or any other family members at any moment. I’m lucky to have her, as many children in the world don’t even have parents anymore. I miss my grandma more than words can express, but her death taught me that my life is a gift to be treasured and cherished, not to be taken advantage of. I think about my grandma everyday, because she made me who I am today, and I am forever thankful for her and the simple life lessons that she taught me.

- Shannon Fischer