Death, the Great Attention Grabber It's surprising how many things we take for granted. We make plans for the day and don't think twice about how those plans can be taken away in the blink of an eye. I never thought much about it until I had to deal with the shock of my aunt's death. I think no one really thinks about tragedy until they are faced with shocking news. The lesson I can learn from this is to live each day intentionally and on purpose. It was August 8, 2013 when my father received a phone call from my aunt Theresa. She urged him to come to her house because she had devastating news. The car ride to his house was uneventful. The weather was gloomy, the sky was full of dark cumulus clouds. When we stopped at my aunt's house, the adults were organized in a small circle. My uncles supported my grandmother, but I didn't think anything of it. My parents told me to come in because they had some business to take care of. I came in to hang out with my cousins. I had seen them a couple of days before, but the feeling of happiness never fades when I see them. When I walked through the door something didn't feel right. The feeling of grief overwhelmed the house. It was so thick I could literally feel it in the air. Everyone was still. They were sulking; I was confused. The most energetic people in the world, doing absolutely nothing. I asked them repeatedly what was wrong. After about an hour, my father took me aside. He said my aunt Feli died last night. My mind was going in loops, I was so confused. I thought he was joking, so I replied "You're lying, don't make fun of me like that." and lightly punched him on the shoulder while I giggled. My father immediately began to cry and said, “Here… middle of paper… funeral home and prepare to accompany her to the grave. The undertakers loaded my aunt into the hearse. Everyone walked behind the hearse until we reached its place. My uncles and dad lifted her out of the vehicle on her slings 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. As they did so, the priest distributed roses. We all threw roses on the grave, said goodbye and went home. When we returned home we reflected on the times we had. Your life can change dramatically at any moment. Don't take life or the people you love for granted, you're only here once. Losing Feli that summer taught me that living each day intentionally and with purpose is what I intend to strive for. I'm sorry I had to lose her to realize that.