Christmas is supposed to be the best time of the year where you get together with family and friends, and you talk and laugh and have a good time. For me, thats usually how it is, but five years ago it was completely different.

I woke up on Christmas morning feeling relaxed and happy. I hopped out of bed, brushed my hair, and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. As I went out of my room, I noticed that something was different. Usually I can hear my brother and sister up running around on Christmas. As I went in the living room that Christmas, I saw my brother, sister, mama, and grandma in the living room, and they werent happy. My grandma was crying, and my mother was holding her and crying too. I asked them what happened, but they just kept crying. I didnt know what had happened, but I knew it wasnt good.

My aunt came out of the bathroom, and I noticed that she had been crying too. I ran to her and asked her what happened, and she told me I should sit down. As I sat down, she said, I have some bad news. Your grandpa died because he had a major heart attack, and there was nothing they could do for him. I sat there looking at her, my eyes wide with despair, I didnt know what to say. I couldnt move, and I just went cold all over. I was crying so hard that I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I started to cry all over again. We didnt open presents or laugh or anything; everybody around me was crying.

My grandpa, my grandma and I were really close and we didnt know what to do now that he was gone. All day I sat on the couch crying. I felt so alone even though the room was overflowing with people trying to comfort us. I fell asleep again, and when I woke up, I was in my bed. I looked at the clock, and it was 2:30 in the morning. I went in the kitchen, and I saw my grandma sitting at the kitchen table crying. I went over to her and sat on her lap and I began to cry.

We sat there for a while. Grandma told me to sit up, and she said, Its going to be okay because even though we cant see him, he will always be with us. After that she handed me a box, and I looked at it. It was a present that my grandpa had gotten me. I wiped my face and opened it up. In the box was a necklace shaped like a cross, and it had my name engraved on it, and it said I will always be with you. There was also a bracelet that said I love you. I sat there staring at the gifts he had gotten me, and then I started to cry again, but this time it wasnt sad tears.

Daniyah Carson is a student in Alan Peoples freshman language arts class at Polk County High School.