Gabriel Gonzales

It's Never Black and White

It’s been a week since the funeral and we are still cooped up in the house, wondering when things will get better. I finally mustered up the courage to look through his belongings, which were solemnly resting in the corner of our basement in a blue container. As the eldest, I felt like I had to hold back my tears, but really, what was the point. I found a Kobe Bryant shoe box, ironically holding some of our dad’s personal effects. As I opened the box, a painful ringing consumed my brain and I dropped everything in an instant. Although it felt like something was trying to rip my soul out through my brain, the pain lasted only three seconds. I gathered myself, looked down at a picture of the five of us, and reflected on how grateful I was to be a part of this family.