“The Way to Rainy Mountain” by N. Scott Momaday

“The Way to Rainy Mountain” by N. Scott Momaday is a very sad essay. In the beginning he is describing the place and then he mentions that the reason he is coming back is to visit his dead grandmother who had died in the spring; therefore, he wanted to go to her grave. As he was driving he started to recall all the memories he has there such as his childhood, culture values, and family history. In a way I feel that the author is lucky to know so many stories of where he was born and about his family. Sometimes I wonder where my roots are and hearing stories is not enough without seeing the place so the author is very lucky to have the stories and see the place for himself. He is recalling when his grandmother was a child and how her live was and how he was raise and treated while he lived as a child in his grandmother house.

The author mentions that the house was never alone and it was always busy with lots of people coming in and out. When he finally arrives to his grandmother’s old house he finally realized that she was dead and the house was going to be empty and it was going to be lonely. He had recall the house being really big with all lots of people and love and now that he was alone looking at the window he realized how small the house really was. In that moment in the essay is where the most important part of the essay is which is, you never know what you have until you lose it and now as he was looking back remembering her; it hit him that all he had in that old place was endless memories but no one to be with or talk to. He now knew that every time he would come it was him alone visiting a grave that would never talk or show any movement just lay there and do nothing at all.

For me, this essay taught me a very important lesson because sometimes we take things for granted and don’t realize how important some people are to us until they are gone and you can’t do anything about them. I think we should all enjoy life, do what makes us happy and always have time for the love ones after all memories and the love of your surrounding is all you take with you when you die. I wouldn’t want to regret not enjoying time with the loves ones so this essay open our eyes to the truth of what could happen any second in our life which is the death of someone we love.