“You Can’t Be Scared Of It”, is the quote I will always apply to my life. My grandpa passed in February of 2025, at 68 years old. He was more than just my grandfather he was like my father. Growing up my dad wasn’t around. He left when I was 2 and my mom moved me and my 2 older brothers back to Illinois to be close to family. I haven’t seen my biological father since. That’s ok ! My mother is an amazing woman who has always went above and beyond, but this isn’t about her. If you could have known grandpa, he was a kind soul, loving, smart, hard working, and never met a stranger. Grandpa was never scared of anything. He always tried something once regardless and he always made sure you knew it. He pushed you to be better than you were the day before. Always to try knew things and don’t be scared to put yourself out there. Losing him was extremely hard for my family. He was diagnosed with bone, esophagus, blood, and lung cancer on February 21,2025 and passed away on February 22, 2025. We were told we had 30 days and we got less than 24 hours. The night before he passed I was sitting with him and my mom and my grandpa always singing random songs. Well that night they had started him on morphine and he was singing to me and my mom and we couldn’t understand him at all. He would laugh and we would laugh and it’s just a moment it’s hard to forget. When you go through life not knowing what’s it’s like having the love of a real father it’s ok when you have the love of a grandfather. He pushed me to be a better version of myself. He guided me on rough decisions when my mom wasn’t sure what to say. He helped push me to do things I never would have. Life has been way different since he left us. But, I have done so much that I know he would be proud of me for doing. He molded me like he did my mother. I am strong, and I can say that I am not scared to try new things because of him. When you lose someone you always looked up to, it breaks you mentally, physically, and emotionally. You lose all gumption to want to do anything. But, I knew I couldn’t let him down. I know that I still have him with me to help guide me and I can’t still hear him yell “You Can’t Be Scared Of It”