By: Darcy Dao
Coping with the loss of a close family member may be one of the hardest challenges that a person could face. In my family, my siblings and I have experienced our first death of a loved one.
We lost our paternal grandfather. He recently passed away on November 13, 2016 due to high blood pressure. We were all sad when we found out that he had to pass away so early and so soon, plus the fact that it was also so unexpected. Even though my grandpa had passed away, he is someone who will never be forgotten.
When I heard that my grandpa passed away I was really surprised and in despair. I just couldn’t believe this had to happened so early and soon, while barely being in my last year in middle school. My grandpa and I had many good times and memories together ever since I was a baby. He would watch us play outside and buy us food. He would always check up on us and call us every morning to see how we were doing.
There are many memories I have with my grandpa before he passed away. One of my favorite memories was when he was still in San Jose and we would convince him to watch us play outside when we were little. He would watch us play with the big bouncy ball while my brother was riding his bike or while I was riding my scooter outside in the front yard.
My second favorite memory with my grandpa was when he would always buy us donuts when we were little, sometimes unexpectedly. There are also times when he would occasionally walk with us to places to buy us food. In addition, he would help us out and drive us to school.
My grandpa and grandma had a great connection, they have lived 66 years together and shared many memories. The relationship that helped make their bond strong was that they shared most circumstances in their lives. My grandma and grandpa’s favorite memory was when they would sit down and eat together.
There was so many changes in their lives; before the war and after the war. When they moved to the new country with nothing, our grandpa always had a responsibility to his family. He served in the Vietnam war for 20 years and he also became a prisoner for 7 years. He later escaped and moved to the United States, and after 7 years in a communist prison called “re-education camp.” He then became a lieutenant colonel of the South Vietnamese Army, after that he came to the U.S as a refugee, he guided the rest of his family to come to the USA.
Coping with the loss of a close family member may be one of the hardest challenges that a person could face. In my family, my siblings and I have experienced our first death of a loved one.
We lost our paternal grandfather. He recently passed away on November 13, 2016 due to high blood pressure. We were all sad when we found out that he had to pass away so early and so soon, plus the fact that it was also so unexpected. Even though my grandpa had passed away, he is someone who will never be forgotten.
When I heard that my grandpa passed away I was really surprised and in despair. I just couldn’t believe this had to happened so early and soon, while barely being in my last year in middle school. My grandpa and I had many good times and memories together ever since I was a baby. He would watch us play outside and buy us food. He would always check up on us and call us every morning to see how we were doing.
There are many memories I have with my grandpa before he passed away. One of my favorite memories was when he was still in San Jose and we would convince him to watch us play outside when we were little. He would watch us play with the big bouncy ball while my brother was riding his bike or while I was riding my scooter outside in the front yard.
My second favorite memory with my grandpa was when he would always buy us donuts when we were little, sometimes unexpectedly. There are also times when he would occasionally walk with us to places to buy us food. In addition, he would help us out and drive us to school.
My grandpa and grandma had a great connection, they have lived 66 years together and shared many memories. The relationship that helped make their bond strong was that they shared most circumstances in their lives. My grandma and grandpa’s favorite memory was when they would sit down and eat together.
There was so many changes in their lives; before the war and after the war. When they moved to the new country with nothing, our grandpa always had a responsibility to his family. He served in the Vietnam war for 20 years and he also became a prisoner for 7 years. He later escaped and moved to the United States, and after 7 years in a communist prison called “re-education camp.” He then became a lieutenant colonel of the South Vietnamese Army, after that he came to the U.S as a refugee, he guided the rest of his family to come to the USA.
After my grandma found out that her husband was in the hospital and knowing that he couldn’t live anymore, her face was full of tears during the funeral. My grandma has always suffered with memory loss, after my grandpa passed away, she still thinks he’s still alive.
My older sister, Christine, also went through similar emotions as I did. She felt shocked, surprised, and she felt panicked when she learned that our grandpa had to go to the hospital. Christine’s favorite memory with our grandpa was that he would look up the stairs and would slowly stomp up and chase after us. When asked about the impact of loss, she said “the impact I had was to cherish people more whether they make me mad or hurt, no matter what I’ll always love them”
My older brother, Randy, was sorrowful and heartbroken to hear that he had to pass away. Randy’s favorite memory with our grandpa was that he would watch over him while biking. Randy expressed his feelings about losing a loved one: “losing a loved one made me realize that I should communicate more with family before they pass away”
My cousin Gina felt shocked, very upset, and angered at his loss. Gina’s favorite memory with our grandpa was that she would always cook food and bring it upstairs for him to eat. “Losing a loved one has impacted my life because I learned that nothing is guaranteed around me, and to never hate just show love”
Even though my grandpa has passed away, he is a loved one who will always be remembered. My grandpa has done so much for us like always checking up on us, taking care of us, and giving us many blessings in our life. He taught us many meaningful lessons in life that I will never forget.
My older sister, Christine, also went through similar emotions as I did. She felt shocked, surprised, and she felt panicked when she learned that our grandpa had to go to the hospital. Christine’s favorite memory with our grandpa was that he would look up the stairs and would slowly stomp up and chase after us. When asked about the impact of loss, she said “the impact I had was to cherish people more whether they make me mad or hurt, no matter what I’ll always love them”
My older brother, Randy, was sorrowful and heartbroken to hear that he had to pass away. Randy’s favorite memory with our grandpa was that he would watch over him while biking. Randy expressed his feelings about losing a loved one: “losing a loved one made me realize that I should communicate more with family before they pass away”
My cousin Gina felt shocked, very upset, and angered at his loss. Gina’s favorite memory with our grandpa was that she would always cook food and bring it upstairs for him to eat. “Losing a loved one has impacted my life because I learned that nothing is guaranteed around me, and to never hate just show love”
Even though my grandpa has passed away, he is a loved one who will always be remembered. My grandpa has done so much for us like always checking up on us, taking care of us, and giving us many blessings in our life. He taught us many meaningful lessons in life that I will never forget.