length: 1688 words 4.8 double spaced pages rating: red free personal narrative cousin's death it is amazing how many things we take for granted. We make plans for the day, and don't think twice about how those plans can be taken away in the blink of an eye. I never thought much about it myself, until i was faced with the shock, and undeniable truth of my cousin 's death. I don't think anyone really thinks about tragedy until they are actually faced with shocking news. My mom had been going to school in greeley and staying at my aunt margaret's house.

She had been away for two weeks and wanted to come home for the fourth of july weekend. My mom had suggested that i go back with her and visit colleges, shop, go to movies and just spend time together. I had been working alot as a maid and helping my dad run the house, i was getting very irritated with my siblings as i felt that i was the only family member doing my part to help my dad.

I was sitting at the kitchen table drinking fresh coffee listening to my mom and aunt tease and joke around about how paranoid my mom was about doing well in her classes, my aunt was telling her that maybe now that i was there, she would relax a little bit and have some fun. Our plan was to go to one of mom's classes with her, and then on a tour of unc and then we were going to go to dinner and a movie. Suddenly the conversation turned from joking to dead silence and my mom started crying. She tearfully asked, is she ok? was she alone? i was thinking my sister went riding and fell off her horse or that something had happened to my grandma. And then mom told us elizabeth, my cousin was in a car accident last night and she didn't survive. I need to be with my sister my mom ran down stairs to get ready to go, i followed her and just stood there, still paralyzed. She went into the bathroom to take a shower and i could still hear her sobbing through the door.

I was standing in the middle of the family room as the words she's dead pierced my heart like daggers of ice. I come from a big family with many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. As i was standing there all alone i thought back to the time when i got to spend a week with liz. Almost a year ago to the date, most of the family was together for my other cousin's wedding. Liz was twelve years older than i and we had never really spent much time together, but we really connected last summer.

She was an interpreter for the deaf and worked at a middle school, she was studying to become a minister for the deaf at her church, she worked with abused and neglected children as a volunteer and she was helping her brother matthew raise his kids. She didn't let me know about these things by bragging or even complaining, she was just sharing her life with me. She helped me through some tough times when i was having a lot of doubt about my faith. I was so honored that i had the chance of getting to know her and now, i would never get the chance to tell her how i felt and how much she helped me. My aunt is deaf and her speech isn't very clear but at that moment ,she screamed my baby as if she had no speech problem. Jamie, called liz's fiancee and got more of the traumatic details and then filled us in, although none of us wanted to know: liz had just gotten back from new jersey on a ministers retreat. She never got in the car without putting on her seat belt and always made sure that everyone else did the same.

Somehow, steve lost control of the car and liz was thrown out of the car through the back window. She was killed instantly we were all trying to figure out what to do for the funeral. We realized that the funeral would have to be held in texas where liz had lived for the past eight years. My aunt dawn had said that she and liz were having a conversation a couple of years ago about what they would want if something happened to one of them.

Com 150 Final Project Expository Essay

The best and worst part of the day was when they got the pictures of her throughout her life. One minute we were laughing at the food on her face when she was a baby and the next we were crying about how beautiful she was. Jamie, liz's brother, decided that it would be easier if the kids stayed behind in colorado. As jamie was stuffing his kid's clothes in a suitcase, the kids wanted to know why they were going to paonia. My mom supported my aunt, my uncle jeff who lives in texas made arrangements with the coroner and the church and my dad had the job of caring for four children as well as the three of us. A few days later when we where getting ready for the memorial service i managed to keep my cool until i realized why i was seeing these familiar faces. Once the service started i managed to keep my emotions in tack until i saw liz's brothers, niece, nephew and her parents go up to the front of the church to speak about liz.

I couldn't even look up at them because i thought about how i would feel in the same situation. I couldn't control myself because it was her she wasn't afraid of taking chances and living life to the fullest my mom told me about the memorial service that was held in texas and about all the people that wanted to talk about how liz had touched their lives and how special she was.i had no idea that so many other people felt the same way i did. Was a my mom said that her pastor gave a incredible sermon that touched her heart.

Loosing liz this summer taught me that living every day intentionally and purposefully is what i intend to strive for. 1 works cited length: 1211 words 3.5 double spaced pages rating: red free a lesson in saying goodbye a guilty feeling surged through me as i snuck out of church early, but i could not wait any longer to show my friend, jonathan, my new chevrolet cavalier. As i raced out of the parking lot, i heard ambulance sirens in the distance, and i felt a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach as if butterflies were fluttering around trying to get out. I paid the feeling no mind as i merged onto the interstate at gray and headed toward johnson city. I made it to big lots, where jonathan works, and i forced him to come outside and look at my car. Then we sat and talked for a while and i bragged about how i was going to my grandma’s house to eat a good home cooked meal, while he would be forced to eat fast food again. When i left big lots, i still had a little time before church let out, so i drove back to gray to the dollar store for some supplies for a spanish class project i was doing that week.