Fiery, Fierce, and Five Foot-Nothing.

December 1, 2014.  Two years ago today, my grandma passed away after a battle with breast cancer. Her journey was full of ups and downs. One day she would be feeling well and she was able to do everyday things such as work, running errands, and spending time with family. Then, the next day she would feel ill, not have much energy, and be in lots of pain. My grandma was a fighter, the most selfless woman I've ever met, and she had such great love for people, but that's not what I want to focus on here.  While my grandma was one of the greatest human beings I've ever had the pleasure of knowing and loving, what I want to talk about here is the pain, heartbreak, and loss I experienced after she passed.  I will never forget where I was, what I was doing, and how I felt the moment I found out that she had died. I will never forget the sinking feeling I had in my gut, knowing that I'd never see or speak to my grandma on this side of Heaven again. I'l...

December 1, 2014. It started like any other Monday. It was a typical day of work then going home to take care of some household chores. Then, my brother and sister-in-law walked through the door and when they greeted me, I knew my world was about to change. "Nae, grandma passed away this afternoon."  That phrase crippled me. I didn't burst into tears or fall to the floor in despair. I simply froze and then I calmly wept. The previous weekend was Thanksgiving and we traveled back to our hometown to visit family and see grandma. She was in the hospital and the doctors said there was nothing else they could do for her, so the decision was made to put her on hospice. By this time, she was sleeping a lot due to the pain medications she was on and she wasn't very responsive. I remember looking at my grandma and feeling like she wasn't really there. She was only a fraction of the person I had known her to be. Looking into her eyes was like looking through a piece...