Quinn McNamara
English 1010 F 9:00-12:15
Professor McKeever
October 2, 2012
Word Count: 732
Happiness out of Sadness
In my life there have been both good and bad moments, in life that I have experienced. Yet this goes with most people, it’s in are nature for us to have these emotions. There are times in life that you wish never happened, and there are moments you wish that could be taken back. The situation I experienced was the passing of my mother’s dad, my grandfather. It really hit home with me as if a knife pierced my heart.
This was significant because I was close with him and he was my last grandpa left. I was especially sad because this was the first family member to die since I was little. Being older now, I knew what was going on and that I wouldn’t be seeing him anymore. My mind had been flooded with denial, and shock. This moment I had really tried grasping my head around but couldn’t make anything of it but sadness. I couldn’t let go of the thought that he had passed. Memories flashed through my mind like I was sitting there going through a camera. Feeling the way I did felt like a nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from.
The days before the funeral were rough. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. There was nothing that I thought could turn this terrible situation into a good thing. I was trying to find closure for myself. At the wake it just seemed everyone was engulfed in sadness. The worst part was seeing my last grandpa in a casket lifeless like he was a manikin. It’s hard to see anyone, let alone a family member look like that in front of your eyes. Besides that it was nice seeing all these people, friends of my grandpa and family coming to pay their respects to him. I didn’t know my grandfather had so many friends and family that I have not meet before that I got to meet that day. It really showed how loved and respected my grandpa was throughout his life.
Then came the day of the funeral, which was the final goodbye. Starting off the funeral was saddening. All my cousins including me all brought red roses up to the casket and placed them in a vase. I could tell by body language it was taking everything in everyone to go up there with poise and a straight face. I knew this also because when my cousins were getting back to the pews some started bursting out streams of tears. The next hard part was enduring speeches giving by my aunts talking about my grandpa’s life it all hit home with all family and friends present. Yet I found the speeches were powerful in the sense that it showed truth to his death and how he led a good life on this earth. The end procession of the funeral was the final goodbye as they were taking the casket out to the hurse to be taken to the crematorium. The bag piper playing during this procession broke everyone down even my grandmother that didn’t shed a tear the whole funeral. The sound was if it was a calling for him to go on with God. Everyone was embracing each other, in the final moments at the end of the funeral.
After the funeral was the recession which made the day brighter than it had been. Everyone was talking about memories and stories about are grandpa having a better time and letting laughs out. Later that night I found myself outside at night looking up to the stars above. Then I realized he is truly in a better place with God and, that he is looking down on my family and me from heaven. I felt in my heart warmth come over me like I was sitting next a fire during Christmas time. From this I knew he would always be with me in my heart and soul. So I made peace with my grandfather’s death and made good out of it. Sadness doesn’t always have to be the outcome of death. I now see that there is a time to grieve but then there is a time to celebrate the life of the lost and be happy just as they would want you to be.
English 1010 F 9:00-12:15
Professor McKeever
October 2, 2012
Word Count: 732
Happiness out of Sadness
In my life there have been both good and bad moments, in life that I have experienced. Yet this goes with most people, it’s in are nature for us to have these emotions. There are times in life that you wish never happened, and there are moments you wish that could be taken back. The situation I experienced was the passing of my mother’s dad, my grandfather. It really hit home with me as if a knife pierced my heart.
This was significant because I was close with him and he was my last grandpa left. I was especially sad because this was the first family member to die since I was little. Being older now, I knew what was going on and that I wouldn’t be seeing him anymore. My mind had been flooded with denial, and shock. This moment I had really tried grasping my head around but couldn’t make anything of it but sadness. I couldn’t let go of the thought that he had passed. Memories flashed through my mind like I was sitting there going through a camera. Feeling the way I did felt like a nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from.
The days before the funeral were rough. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. There was nothing that I thought could turn this terrible situation into a good thing. I was trying to find closure for myself. At the wake it just seemed everyone was engulfed in sadness. The worst part was seeing my last grandpa in a casket lifeless like he was a manikin. It’s hard to see anyone, let alone a family member look like that in front of your eyes. Besides that it was nice seeing all these people, friends of my grandpa and family coming to pay their respects to him. I didn’t know my grandfather had so many friends and family that I have not meet before that I got to meet that day. It really showed how loved and respected my grandpa was throughout his life.
Then came the day of the funeral, which was the final goodbye. Starting off the funeral was saddening. All my cousins including me all brought red roses up to the casket and placed them in a vase. I could tell by body language it was taking everything in everyone to go up there with poise and a straight face. I knew this also because when my cousins were getting back to the pews some started bursting out streams of tears. The next hard part was enduring speeches giving by my aunts talking about my grandpa’s life it all hit home with all family and friends present. Yet I found the speeches were powerful in the sense that it showed truth to his death and how he led a good life on this earth. The end procession of the funeral was the final goodbye as they were taking the casket out to the hurse to be taken to the crematorium. The bag piper playing during this procession broke everyone down even my grandmother that didn’t shed a tear the whole funeral. The sound was if it was a calling for him to go on with God. Everyone was embracing each other, in the final moments at the end of the funeral.
After the funeral was the recession which made the day brighter than it had been. Everyone was talking about memories and stories about are grandpa having a better time and letting laughs out. Later that night I found myself outside at night looking up to the stars above. Then I realized he is truly in a better place with God and, that he is looking down on my family and me from heaven. I felt in my heart warmth come over me like I was sitting next a fire during Christmas time. From this I knew he would always be with me in my heart and soul. So I made peace with my grandfather’s death and made good out of it. Sadness doesn’t always have to be the outcome of death. I now see that there is a time to grieve but then there is a time to celebrate the life of the lost and be happy just as they would want you to be.