Only one person comes to my mind when I hear the word inspiring. My grandpa, Joseph Jackson is the most caring and friendly person in my life. When he was diagnosed with leukemia in 2000, my life was put on hold. I was scared; not only for my grandpa, but for my family too. No one in my life had been sick like this before, so I was not sure how to deal with the news. The doctors gave him a short amount of time to live which scared me even more. The thought of knowing that you only have a few more months to spend with someone you look up to is frightening.

He was the type of person to always be early for things, and to do his best at whatever task he was given. He cared for other more than he cared for himself. If someone else needed something, he would not hesitate to help. I saw him to be as close to perfect, and I loved spending time with him. My grandpa would do anything for me; even it was a burden to him.

While my grandpa was sick, my family became stronger and closer than ever. We came together and did anything it took to help make him better. He was no longer taking care of me when I was sick, but he was the one being cared for. As the cancer spread throughout the body, he was becoming more disabled, and everything had to be done for him. So many different emotions were running through me, and I did not know what to think.

My grandpa passed away the last day of my fifth grade year in 2001, and since then my life has not been the same. The one person I looked up to and thought of as my hero, was gone. I could no longer call him when I was sick, to come pick me up at school, and I could not whenever I felt like it. I could no longer hear him laugh or talk, or see his smile that could brighten up a room. I cried for days, and really did not know what to think. I felt like I was missing a piece of me. I thought there would be no one else for me to look up to, or call my role model.

After my grandpa passed away, I was left wondering why him. He would do anything for anyone, and would never wish bad for anyone, but he was the one to get sick. I was so upset that at times I even thought people who did bad, and were careless should be the ones to be sick and die. I did not understand why this had to happen to my family, and why we were the ones to have to lose someone so close and dear to our hearts.

After months passed, and I started realizing that my grandpa really was gone, and I could not see him anymore, I began to rethink many things. First, I realized that he died for a reason. Even though neither my family nor I was ready for him to leave, I knew that God had a reason. He was in a better place, and was no longer suffering. Also, I began to realize how precious life is, and that it can be taken away from you as fast as lightening hits the ground. Spending life with friend and family and doing stuff you enjoy is the most important thing you can do.

I now look at life a different way. I spend more time with my family, because I know how important they are, and that they would do anything for me. I spend my free time hanging out with my friends and having fun. Also, I try to tell people how I feel about them, because I never know if I will have another chance to tell someone I love them.

My grandpa taught me many aspects about life, from how to be a wonderful person, to how to spend my life. I hope one day I can grow up and have someone look at me the way I look at my grandpa- as a hero.