Someone That Changed My Life :)

     One person who changed my life was Lewis K. Saunders, or Lewie for short. He was my grandpa, but also my caregiver, mentor, and friend. Some people will never get to experience the life I lived while my grandpa was around. However, the change in my life happened when he was passed away.
     I used to live in Gallipolis, Ohio with my grandparents; Mary Lou and Lewie. This is because my mom is a nurse and my dad is a police officer and they both had to work third shift. It was a hard way to start out life but i considered it a blessing because I basically had two sets of parent. I became really close to my grandpa during those years, yet another blessing I got to encounter.
     My grandpa was a Native American, so when I lived in the boondocks of Ohio, I got to learn about the traditions and customs of the Native American culture. One of the customs is to understand and appreciate nature. I learned every tree, flower, bug, and animal on our 160 acre farm. Another custom I learned was to respect ancestors and elders. This made me very wise about the world at a very early age.
     When I got earlier, my parents finally got their shifts changed over to first shift. So I got to start school up in Gahanna. I frequently visited my land in Gallipolis and my Grandpa lived up here to be closer to me and the rest of our family. We went to the farm on the weekends to get in touch with nature. I really enjoyed this time in my life because I got to live "normal" life as well as native life. Well, the only certain thing in life is change, and change come to everyone; it was finally my turn.
      It was a sunny August morning. I had woken up like I did everyday, checked to see if it was sunny, and then walked downstairs to say good morning to my family. When breakfast started, I realized something was wrong. My grandma was at my house eating with us, but my grandpa was not. Now, if you knew my grandpa; you would know that he never, ever missed a meal. So I got nervous. After the meal, my mom called a family meeting. We walked into the living room and she told me the two words that changed my life forever., "Popa died." At first, I did not understand, but i caught on very quickly. In the days that followed there was a lot of sadness, friends, and love in my house. Family came from all over, and we had to figure out the funeral arrangement. It was a rough time.
      Three years later, My grandma died. The farm came to me in a will and I will receive it when I turn 25. My family rarely goes down to visit the farm because of the pain that comes with it. Occasionally however, we oftentimes remember the memories we had down there and smile at them.
     My life and my outlook on life changed during this time in my life. I started to understand the change. I got closer to friends in Gahanna as well as got involved. Life got to a normal basis. Through the midst of family crisis, I grew as a person. I can enjoy life knowing that in the back of my head, it does end. However, those who remain on earth can and must continue to live their lives.