In February, 2019, my grandfather unexpectedly died of a heart attack. Since he and I had shared such a tight bond, his death had a major impact on my life. He had taught in the Rochester City School District and was also heavily involved in New York State golf. In his lifetime, we enjoyed many activities together and he introduced me to various people, as he was an outgoing and sociable person.

My grandpa led me to some of my favorite sports teams, like the Bruins and Giants. My grandparents, along with my family, would attend local sporting events: RIT Hockey, the Boston Bruins, the Rochester Knighthawks, the Rochester Red Wings, and the Rochester Amerks. My family and I would also go over to my grandparents' house to watch important football or hockey games for some of our favorite professional and college teams. All these exciting sporting events with my family helped me grow a passion for sports.

When I was younger, my grandpa would take me and my brother golfing in the summertime. Every time we went golfing, he would always find a way to make golf fun, like betting something trivial like a golf ball on a hole. He helped create my love for golf through our super-fun times on the golf course. I still go golfing with my friends and family every summer.

My grandpa always attended all my lacrosse and soccer games, serving as our biggest cheerleader. The weather didn’t matter, nor did the result of the game: he was always there cheering us on. I never realized how much I appreciated my grandfather always being at every game and always supporting me.

I never had realized how much these experiences meant to me until I didn’t see my grandpa at sporting events anymore; I never appreciated how deeply he had impacted my life until I reflected on all the great memories that we shared. These short games we watched or rounds of golf we played truly made me who I am today. I was shaped simply by spending time together and doing the activities that we enjoyed. It's crazy to look back and think about the way that brief or seemingly insignificant experiences and adventures truly make up who you are.

Today I am a junior in high school who plays lacrosse, soccer, and golf. I have played all of these sports for a while, and I am thankful that Grandpa had gotten a chance to watch me play before he passed. I never realized that seeing my grandpa’s face on the sidelines during games meant so much to me. I wish I were able to go back to thank him for the experiences that made me who I am; I wish I were able to go back to relive all those times when my grandpa was on the sidelines watching me play. How lucky I am to have had someone who loved me enough to sit and watch my games in the pouring rain or the summer heat.

It’s common not to know what you have until it’s gone. Look around at all the people you care about and think about how much you appreciate them. Everyone can take a moment out of a random afternoon to think about that person that you care about, a person that cares about you. Then just give them a call to say thank you for being you.

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