My relationship with my grandmother was different than what I suppose most grandchildren would have with their grandparents. To me, she was more than just a grandparent, but rather she was more like a mother. I cherished every day I spent with my grandmother, and it felt like those days would last forever.

My grandmother was the one who taught me how to read and write, how to bake and cook. She even inspired me and my sister to write stories and to draw pictures, and to love doing jigsaw puzzles for hours on end. She was there with us all those times; helping us to develop and nurture the skills we still have today.

I always remembered every time I got sick, my grandmother would let me watch movies and eat ice cream instead of eating chicken noodle soup and sleeping. I remember how she would always let me play with my toys for ten minutes before I would go to sleep. I would say almost any clothing I owned was given to me by her, and I didn’t care if I wasn’t fashionable. My grandmother gave me the confidence that I didn’t have to be in style like the kids from any of the schools I went to, so I wore whatever I felt like wearing that was comfortable. And we would walk so, so much… and anywhere we went was pleasant as long as I was alongside her.

I could hardly remember her ever being not happy. My grandmother was caring, loving, kind, and was the nicest person I ever knew. She would often strike up conversations with people with ease wherever we went, even if she didn’t know the people she was talking to personally. She always had a smile on her face, and it was hard to not be happy around her.

When we were young and we lived in her home, she would walk us to school and back every day. She would always ask us, “Can you tell me ten things you are grateful for?” …I remember being able to come up with almost twenty to thirty answers to her question, and I know for a fact she always wanted us to grow up happy.

Even when we moved away to live in Woodbine when I was almost eight years old, she still remained a part of our lives. She still took part in helping to raise us, even if she lived away from us. We spent so much time with her, and as we grew older she was always there with us.

She was always there for us, and without her, I don’t think I would be the person I am today.