Unexpected Death

Unexpected Death

By: Alexa Mancini

Christmas Eve,

She was radiating happiness,

Glowing with liveliness,

The picture of good health.

But just like that,

My great grandma waved goodbye

To this world

And peacefully said hello to the next.

She was gone.

Wearing a gown of all black lace

With tinted sunglasses to

Conceal my tears,

I realized how unexpected

Death can be.

Gazing at my father,

Fear crept up on me,

Knowing that each puff of smoke

He inhales from a cigarette

May be drawing him closer

To the end of his own life.

Staring at my younger brother,

Recognizing the insecurities

Dragging his confidence down,

Revealing the possibility of him no longer

Wanting to suffer through life,

The chance of my sibling desiring for it

To be over.

I overwhelmed myself with the chilling what-ifs.

What if he decided to say goodbye

To the world too?

The fear of death has constrained me,

Setting invisible limits on new experiences

And thrilling risks.

Driving to unknown destinations,

I travel the quickest route

To avoid unfamiliar streets,

Withelding me from exploring

The beauty of buildings

And nature surrounding them.

Until one day,

My hesitation to truly live hauled

After discovering a passion,

Encouraging open conversations about

Mental illnesses.

Most of my time was spent

On helping others recognize their potentials,

Yet I was not even close

To fulfilling mine.

So I began to wake up earlier,

Before the colors of red and yellow

permeated the sky,

Embracing the masterpiece that

We call Earth.

I have held memories of me

With family close to my heart,

Expressing happiness for what I have

Instead of fearing what I may lose.

I believe that humans have

Specific purposes,

Whether it is to spread awareness

For depression

Or to simply be someone’s shoulder to

Cry on.

Never will I compromise my

Destiny because of

The fear of death.

I recognize that I will die,

But now my greatest concern

Is that I leave behind an inspiring

legacy.