If you didn't read my past article called "The Art Of Living By 'C'est La Vie'" I would because it was a time of struggle for my self and my family. That article was about my grandmother and her battle with cancer.

To summarize, around Christmas of last year I had found out that my "Nonnie" was fighting cancer and was going through a lot of medical examinations. Then April of 2018, through her positivity and persistence, she made it through her surgery and was cleared of cancer. But like cancer does, it spread and got worse.

Words can't describe what a grandmother teaches you. In my case, my grandmother was like a second mom to me. She took care of me or my cousins all the time. She was special and always lived her life to the fullest. Whether she was bowling or watching "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune," she did what made her happy. She went on vacations to places like Singapore or Aruba and even to our lake house which was always a special place for her to relax. Whatever she did, she always was happy to be around everyone.

My family is very close and extremely special to me. She had taught us all many things throughout our lives. One thing I learned to make was her crepes. I will cherish the fact that I learned to make them the way she did and can carry on her traditions. She also taught me how to keep a clean an organized workspace. With the thought of her house, I laugh because she always kept a tight ship. Everything had to be neat and if it wasn't, she would begin to sing the clean-up song.

Looking back at home videos, my grandma was always there for me with everything I did. She came to my swim meets, rugby games, school play, choral concerts, and anything in between.

Along with this, she was a woman who was a nurse for more than half her life and helped to raise four children. Her working nights while my grandpa working during the day, they made time to spend with their children at any moment. She is kind, loving, strong-willed, responsible, sweet, and so dearly missed by everyone around her.

Her clear message to me has always been that life is too short to overthink things. It's better to live in the moment and not criticize myself because everyone makes mistakes. If you mess up, who cares the only person who saw was you. She would always laugh at my jokes even though they weren't funny at all.

What I will miss most about her most is her ability to make me feel sure of myself and relaxed at even my most stressful times. It's hard to imagine what will happen next with holidays, birthdays, and so on. Someday I hope to feel at peace with the fact that she has passed on.

What I would want you as the reader to take away from this is to always cherish the moments you are alive. Whether you are with your friends, family, or pets cherish the moments spent with them. Lastly, do what makes you happy and not what doesn't. I hope you learned something from this piece.

I love you. I miss you. See you soon buddy.