"Grandpa Bill," a poem by Brandee Butkiewicz published in the October 2013 Teen Ink issue, was able to deeply connect with me. The poem tells an emotional story about a child's experience when his grandfather has cancer, and later on dies from it. Cancer is a difficult topic to grasp as a child and like the reader, I know how it feels when a close family member dies.

My own grandfather also died of cancer when I was seven years old. I didn't really understand what was happening, but I saw how distressed my father was. After all, it was his dad, the one that nurtured him as he grew up. Before the funeral, I asked my mom if I wear red socks. I remember her scolds, but I didn't understand why everyone was dressed in black.

Brandee tells the reader how he thinks about the experience now and his feelings about the tragic event. I know the feeling of not being able to change anything, no matter how hard I try. No matter what, we can still carry on and honor the people who left us. They will still be forever in our hearts.