As Thanksgiving season comes to an end, we, once again, take some time to think about what we're thankful for. And of course, I do feel grateful for my family every year, but I don't think I ever really understood the importance of the people around me until I felt like I could have lost them. One of these people was my grandfather, someone who was always with me to the point that I didn't realize I had stopped appreciating him until it was almost too late.

About two years ago, my grandfather had a minor heart attack while resting on the guest bed in my house. It was the beginning of a long, long journey, which would be full of hospital trips, visiting relatives and nights spent alone at home. Since my sister and I had school, we weren't able to be by my grandfather's bedside all the time, but my mother was there to care for him. What I did see, though, was that, over time, my grandfather went through major surgeries that really affected him at his old age. The man that I once knew as being brave and strong now needed help just to sit up.

After being sent home, he slowly started to regain his strength, but he was still not yet fully recovered when another tragedy befell him. He fell down the stairs and broke a vertebral disk in his neck, this time when he was visiting my uncle in New Jersey. Again, we were all worried sick as we got news of lab results and waited on his lengthy surgeries. And once again, we were all paranoid and afraid; what if he wouldn't get better this time?

Thankfully, he has been recovering well. He's still in the process, but I hope nothing goes wrong and he regains his strength back. What I learned over the past few years was just how important and valuable everyone is to me. Of course, whenever he was here, I spent time with him and talked to him, but not so much when he left. It always slipped my mind to call and check up on him, and I realize that I haven't been the best granddaughter.

You see, I realize now that we never really know when our time will come. We never know for certain when we will have our last conversation with a family member or a loved one, or when a hug will be the last.

Life is short and valuable, and it's important to express how much you love someone before it's too late. That's what my grandfather taught me. I'm lucky that both times he ended up in the hospital, he was told he would be okay. But I should learn to not be regretful in the case that we didn't get that lucky. I should appreciate him and love him every time I can. And to show him that I'm grateful for him, before it's too late.