In the most difficult of times when we feel alone, friends are there to help us cope and make it through. I am lucky to have a very close friend named Gus. Prior to this experience, I had not been exposed to death and how hard it can be. When my grandpa developed very severe Alzheimer’s disease, his health went downhill quickly. Towards the end of his life, along with worsened Alzheimer’s, he also got pneumonia, what doctor’s refer to commonly as “an old person’s best friend.”

Seeing my grandpa in so much pain and being unable to talk with us was both painful and heartbreaking. Luckily, I had Gus to help me through it. Gus’ own grandpa had endured the exact same fate with Alzheimer’s disease coupled with pneumonia, and so he knew how I felt. We didn’t necessarily talk about my grandpa, but Gus instead distracted me with other, happier things in my life to focus on. Gus and I saw many movies, ate a lot of ice cream, and ran errands for my mom, as she was even sadder than me, seeing as it was her father that was dying. With Gus, I found healthy distractions that helped me to cope more effectively with my sadness, which provided me with a better perspective on death.

When it came time to say goodbye to my grandpa one last time at his funeral, I would not say that I was prepared, but I was more prepared than I would have been, had it not been for Gus. I was able to give a speech about my grandpa and make it through the day, as I had realized that grandpa would want us to focus on the happier things, just as Gus had shown me how when grandpa was dying. Death is never easy, but having a friend to help you through it makes it bearable.