June 5 2011

Growing up I have always spent my summers in Mexico. Spending my summers in Mexico wasn’t a big deal to me because I had built a relationship. As I got older, my relationships remained the same. One of my good friends from Mexico was Mayki. He was just awesome. But on June 5 2011, I experienced something that I have never before.

On June 5, 2011, the day before his 19^th birthday, Mayki passed away. I have never had anybody close to me die. I had just gotten to Mexico that day in time to celebrate his birthday the next day.  He had passed away at 10 a.m. that morning and I didn’t get there till 9 p.m. I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. His funeral was right on his birthday. The birthday party he invited me to attend to was his funeral.

Last funeral that I had been to before Mayki’s was my great grandmothers. I was way too young to remember any feelings or memory from that funeral. Mayki’s funeral, in my own way, was my first funeral.

I didn’t take the news too well. There was no possible way that my best friend could have passed away if I had just talked to him 2 days before and he was excited about my visiting. I had just seen him through the webcam too. There was just no way. I felt a ball down my throat and my mom just stood there not knowing what to say; all I could really think about was, “So this is how it feels when you really loose a loved one.”

I woke up that morning and got dressed and went straight to his house. His mother was helpless; she looked numb but wasn’t crying yet. She looked at me and said “Funeral is at 3.” I didn’t respond and I just walked upstairs where his room was and fell asleep. I got woken up by another friend and said it was time.

Attending his funeral was one of the hardest things I have ever experienced. Up to this day I still recall every little detail. It had finally hit me that he was really gone when his casket was in front of my face. It was then when his mom passed out from all the grief. I couldn’t feel my head or body. When he was being buried I felt nothing but grief and every memory I have with him

 Mayki’s death and funeral have affected me in every way, and has changed my perspective in certain ways too. I have learned to cherish every person that I love because you never know when it is their time. You are never too young to do anything. This has been a negative meaningful experience. I hold it dear to my heart. Ever since that funeral, I have learned that it is easy to lose. I have learned to be more appreciative of life and to live life day by day. I up to this day refuse to plan ahead. One day at time. I of course still miss him.