The Reason for Living Ym only twelve years old, but I know sadness and the [ear of death very well My grandfather has been smoking since he was a young teenager, and now he has a terrible disease called emphysema that ruins the respiratory ver sinoe my grandmother died, my grandfather has been depressed—mad at the world. He is a very omery Dan and has said some hurtal things to nice people. But en he is around me, it's like a whole soft side becomes exposed, E Recently, my grandfather got very sick. He und surgery on his throat and hid to use a machine called a ‘espirator to help him breathe. The doctors thought that B his days were numbered, but miraculously he recovered. He was taken off the respirator, but sill he couldn’ talk strained his voice badly to make the slightest noise While my grandfather was in the hospital, my motherond I lew to Pittsburgh to be with him. We were ver fearful we wouldn't see him again. ‘When we reached my grandfather's hospital room, 1 ‘was shocked by his condition, He looked so sickly. Fle was hardly able to even grunt, Somehow though, he man- aged to mumble, “I... yo You what, Grandpa?” I whispered. He didn’t have the ‘nergy to answer me, He had exhausted all his strength with those two syllabies, “you.” The next morning my mother and Ihad to leave. [kept wondering just what it was he had tried so desperately fo {ell me, It wasn’t until [ was back home in Georgia that 1 Jearned what he had tried to say. "A week alter we returned home, my family received phone call from one of the nurses in the hospital. She t las that my grandéather had sid, "Call my granddaught and tll her love." At fist Iwasa litle confused, thinking why herould just sy, Tove” Wy nat, “Tove you?” Then it hit me. The day we were in the hospital he had been tying to say, “Hove you.” I was really touched. I fet as if T was poing to cry, and I di, ‘Aller many painful weeks, my grandiather was finally able to talk I called him every night. Normally he had to stop after about five minutes because he was too weak No matter what, though, everytime we hung up he would say “Llove you" and “Ta do anything his moving words best compliments I have ever re My grandfather is still very ill and J know our time is limited. [feel very honored that he has shared his feelings with me. [have learned alot from this experience. But the most important thing I've learned is that a simple you is really not simple. 1's a reason for living, Loaren Elisabeth H