Death, the attention-grabber It's amazing how many things we take for granted. We make plans for the day and don't think twice about how those plans can be scrapped in the blink of an eye. I had never thought much about it myself until I was faced with the shock of my aunt's death. I don't think anyone really thinks about tragedy until they are confronted with shocking news. The lesson I can take from this is to live each day intentionally and deliberately. It was August 8, 2013 when my father received a call from my aunt Theresa. She urged him to come to her house because she had devastating news. The car ride home was peaceful. The weather was gloomy, the sky was filled with dark cumulus clouds. When we arrived in front of my aunt's house, the adults were organized in a small circle. My uncles supported my grandmother, but I didn't think about it. My parents told me to come in because they had some business to attend to. I went inside to hang out with my cousins. I saw them a few days ago, but the feeling of happiness never fades when I see them. When I walked through the front door, something didn't seem right. The feeling of sadness invades the house. It was so thick I could literally smell it in the air. Everyone was still. They sulked; I was perplexed. The most energetic people in the world, doing absolutely nothing. I asked them several times what was wrong. After about an hour, my father took me aside. He said my aunt Feli died last night. My mind went into a loop, I was so confused. I thought he was joking, so I replied "You're lying, don't bother me like that." and I gently hit his shoulder while I laughed. My father quickly started crying and said, "There... middle of paper... funeral home and he prepared to walk her to her grave." The funeral directors loaded my aunt into the hearse. Everyone walked behind the hearse until we reached its grounds. My uncles and father pulled her out of the vehicle onto the bands for the undertakers to lower her into the ground. Then the priest spoke for what seemed like an hour and gave the signal to lower her into the ground. While they were doing this, the priest was handing out roses. We all threw the roses on the vault, said goodbye and went home. Back home, we reflected on the moments we experienced. Your life can change dramatically at any time. Don't take life or the people you love for granted, you're only there once. Losing Feli that summer taught me that living each day intentionally and deliberately is what I intend to strive for. I'm sorry I had to lose her to realize that.