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 19th 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.