The next morning I was awoken by a stewardess announcing it was time for breakfast. The thought of food turned my stomach. It was still dark outside when the plane landed. My watch read 5:30 a.m. Once done with the endless paperwork, I walked into a room full of eager faces. I searched through the strange faces until I recognized a familiar smile, one that I hadn't seen for two years. I dashed up to my cousin and greeted him with a proper hug. He hadn't changed a bit.

This was not my first trip to New York, but it was certainly one I would never forget. The city seemed different as we drove to the upper east side

I turned around and found my mom standing right behind me, she too was staring deep into the sky. Then, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "See Stephie, you grandmother always kept her promises, here you have it, snow". I had never seen snow before and my grandma had made it a goal of hers, she would bring me snow if it were that last thing she did. I smiled as I realized she had done it. Somehow she managed it. In the middle of the sidewalk, gazing up at the gray sky, I thanked her. She kept her promise, she had brought me snow. I turned around and headed back towards the chapel. It was there, standing in the middle of the side walk, in a strange neighborhood freezing my bones off, that I realized I wasn't paying attention to the important things in life. It was then that I realized life is short, and that there is no point in wasting any of our precious time. I understood that it was necessary to commit myself to people, to form bonds with people and appreciate each unique moment we share with them. If I got anything out of my deep and painful loss, it is definitely a broader view of life. My eyes are opened a little bit wider and thanks to grandma I am able to see things clearly. I will alway

Some common words found in the essay are:
, strange neighborhood,
Approximate Word count = 820
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)