Brittani was my favorite person to play with when I was younger and it finally made sense that she was never coming back. I know felt empathy for people who have ever lost a loved one because I know felt the pain and the emptiness of someone. As time went on the family was finally starting to deal with losing a daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and granddaughter. On Brittani’s 22nd birthday the Columbus Dispatch newspaper did a story on Brittani for the anniversary. My family met at the arena and got to see the seat she was sitting in when the accident happened. Also, Espen Knutsen the Swedish hockey player who hit the puck met my family, and had explained to them that he felt so bad after the accident that he retired from professional hockey. He also told them that he was now a professional coach in Norway. My family does not blame Espen for what happened. We understand that he was just doing what he was supposed …show more content…
It is hard knowing that when all of us granddaughters take pictures together at the holidays knowing that there is one special person missing from the pictures. My family has many pictures of the three granddaughters that are still left, and always right beside them are pictures of Brittani. At every family gathering you can still feel the grief in the air even after fourteen years of her being gone. This whole experience has brought a lot of respect from me to other families who have lost a loved one because I know what it feels like to have someone that is never going to come back. I also have empathy for children who are going through the same experiencing because I was once the child who did not know what was going on around me and always wondering where that special someone was. I have learned that anyone can be gone in the blink of an eye and you never know what the last words, or memories you may have of them will be. I have also learned to cherish the time you have with someone because it could be the last time you are with them. Since I was little while this was happening I watched how my family grieved and dealt with the situation. From watching them I have learned how to have strength and get through hard times together with the support of others. From our family traditions of