No Need for Goodbye

More and more, when I single out the person who inspired me most, I go back to my grandfather.

~James Earl Jones

It had been a year since my grandfather passed away, and I was bothered by the fact that I never got to say goodbye to him. My parents had tried calling and texting me, but I was taking a nap, and my phone was in the other room. By the time I read my parents’ messages and drove to the hospital, my grandfather had already passed away.

Although a year had passed since his death and I had a plethora of things to look forward to (senior prom, high-school graduation, the start of college, etc.), the fact that I never got to say goodbye to my role model weighed heavy on me.

I blamed myself for being asleep that day when I knew darn well that I should’ve gone with my parents to visit him. Of course, nobody knew that day was going to be his last. But if I had only gone with my parents to visit my grandfather, I would have been able to say goodbye.

One night before I went to bed, I was thinking about my grandfather and was overcome by sadness. I decided to close my eyes and pray to God. I asked God to allow me to dream of my grandfather; I just wanted to see him one more time. I didn’t know if my prayer would be answered, but it was worth a shot. I cleared my thoughts and fell asleep.

Later that night, I felt a tap on my shoulder and jumped up. Darkness surrounded me, but that quickly ended when my lamp was turned on. The person who turned on the lamp in my room was a tall man, wearing pants and a shirt that were blindingly white. I tried to speak, but I couldn’t; it felt as if my vocal cords had disappeared. The man in the white clothing softly took me by the hand and led me out of my bed. I was not hesitant at all, for his presence gave me a sense of comfort. The man walked me to the door of my room and slowly opened it.

On the other side of the door was an entirely white room. And there was my grandfather, sitting in his favorite chair. I stared at him motionless, not knowing what was going on. As I stood in shock, my grandfather began to sing his favorite song: “The Party’s Over” by Willie Nelson. I ran toward him and hugged him while he sat singing in his chair. I cried on his shoulder. I didn’t want to let go.

My grandfather then placed his hands on my shoulders and maneuvered me so we were face to face. He then said, “Everything is going to be alright. There was no need for you to say goodbye because I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be with you. I am so proud of the man you are becoming and look forward to watching you live your life. I love you.”

I still couldn’t speak, so I smiled and hugged him once more.

I arose to the sound of my neighbor mowing his lawn at eight in the morning. My eyes were still watery, but I couldn’t help smiling, for I knew that everything was going to be all right.

— Arturo Guajardo IV —