Elizabeth, a girl just a little younger than I, has always had her own huge issues. The difference between her and I was that she could handle whatever life hurled her way. Throughout her whole existence, though not very long, she has dealt with problems on a much larger scale than most. Elizabeth has lost so many family members and friends. Her family has always been short on money; each person has to take on as many jobs as humanly possible as soon as they became of age, in order to cover immense medical bills and the expenses of living in an older home. No matter what happens to my best friend, she keeps on smiling. No matter what happens she remains the same kind and caring young lady. I’ve known her for my entire life, yet every single day, her ability to hold herself so high, to keep being optimistic and impossibly enthusiastic, leaves me completely and utterly amazed.

My grandmother, Josephine, and I were very close. I spent so much time with her. I hung on every word that left her lips and even every word that went unstated. She meant the world to me and I love her, dearly. She smoked when she was young for a very long time, which destroyed her lungs. For the short lifetime that I knew her, she was attached to this horrifying machine five times my size. She had this tube going around her neck and went up into her nose so that she was able to breathe.

In 2006, my grandmother passed away. It was horrifying for me to think that I lost her, my grandmother, my friend. My life began to lose any trace of color. I lived in a dull, black and white world. I had no hope of getting that color, that bliss back in my life. I felt that when my grandmother left she took everything we had together with her. After she passed, my family started to fall apart. My grandmother organized every family event; she was the glue that held us together. Without her we stopped seeing each other. No one was around to pull us all together. My grandmother was the thin line between chaos and order. She kept her children in check, something that I desperately wish she was still doing today. In my grandmother’s absence, my aunt and cousin began their convoluted plan to make my ill grandfather change his will so that they would receive nearly everything. My poor grandfather, Denis, was so sick that, for the most part, in 2012, my aunt and cousin got what they wanted.

This whole ordeal left me in a sort of state of depression. My life was crumbling before my very eyes. I withdrew myself from any family activity that we had left. All they entailed was argument and misery. I hated it, I couldn’t stand the arguing and the dysfunctionality of my family. I needed my grandmother to help save our family from the mess that it became without her. I didn’t look forward to getting up to go to school in the morning or to dance class in the evening. Everything reminded me of the hole left in my heart. Some how, I look back on it now and rather being remorseful that my grandmother left so soon, I am grateful that she stuck around long enough to get to know her little granddaughter. She was such a strong woman and she fought so hard to hold on for the sake of her family.

Elizabeth helped me to cope with the loss of my grandparents. Really, she helps me cope with this loss everyday, just by being her-upbeat-self. Elizabeth would stay up late at night talking with me. Sometimes we would text or video chat, it never matter what we did, as long as we got to talk. I needed all of that talking, the reassurance and altruism. Elizabeth would tell me that I would be alright, my family would be a family again, and my aunt won’t always get away scratch free. Elizabeth sure was right, I would be okay, eventually, and my aunt definitely suffered for her actions. Elizabeth would also explain that everything happens to us for a reason, everything plays a part in the grand scheme of life. Elizabeth would say that I absolutely had to smile and to be kind to everyone I encounter no matter who they are to me now. She’d always try to tell me why and I’d laugh at her, but, today I think this is some of the best advice I will ever hear. She’d tell me that I’m beautiful and I have to show it off. More importantly, she said my kindness would pay off, maybe that person will be the biggest part of my future or maybe I could save them from making a decision that would seal a horrible fate. My friend told me jokes all the time, to try to make me laugh and distract me from the thoughts of my grandparents. We would spend every weekend together, laughing, joking, deterring from what I believed was a bleak, hopeless existence. The ritual of her presence every weekend and late on weeknights was what really helped me to realize that I would be okay if I thought more positively and took every word of Elizabeth’s advice on staying strong.

I think about her words everyday. I try my hardest to be strong, just like my best friend tells me to. Because of Elizabeth’s loving words, I was lifted from my slump. I started looking forward to learning new things in school and spending time with friends. Things really started looking up again. Life seems… almost brighter since Elizabeth helped shift my outlook on the negative events occurring in life. I feel more cheerful and optimistic, like I have the ability to hold my head high and smile brightly in the face of adversities. Thank you to my dear friend, Elizabeth. I will hold those words close to my heart forever.