In the past two years, I have lost someone very important to me and I am about to go through the same thing again. Last year in September, my beloved Aunt Frankie lost her battle with Lupus. I loved her as if she was my mother and she was the matriarch of my family. My mother was very heartbroken because they were like sisters and to see my strong, resilient mother in that state was devastating to witness. At the beginning of the school year, this was a hard reality to face, but through love and support from my family and my Christian faith, we were all ready to pull through. As of late, my cousin, Charles, has taken a turn for the worst with his health. His lungs and heart are broken beyond repair and he needs a transplant immediately if he will live. If not, he only has about two to three weeks to live. My cousin Rena, his wife,decided to make their peace with his death and do not want him to suffer anymore. It was very disheartening to hear, since I have known Charles all my life. My family is still trying to heal from my aunt’s death, so this is just another cut to a healing wound. Hospitals are quickly becoming the worst place to be for me. The sick atmosphere and the sense of death surround you, until it encompasses your whole being, feeling you with dread. However, I decided that no matter what happens, I will remember when he was full of life. He was always laughing or making jokes, which entertained all of us. He was dedicated to his family and always loved to be around them. He was always the activist, talking about problems that plagued the African American community. To be around him was always a pleasure and you could feel love radiating off of him. I am realizing as I get older that death is a part of life. Especially in a christian sense, the idea of dying and potentially going to Heaven is thought of as coming home. Heaven is the ultimate chance at happiness and where no sickness or sadness can touch you. I want that for Charles. He will obviously be missed, but I would rather he had the chance of life somewhere else than his sickened state in the hospital. I will be there for the remaining family I have left. When my aunt died, my family sort of separated from each other instead of coming together. This time, we will come together and support each other. My final goodbye to Charles will not consist of woeful tears and moments lost. Instead, I will wish him peace and anticipate the chance when I can see him and my aunt again in Heaven. Whenever I feel sad about the deaths that have taken place in my life, I will remember this: “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)