Dear Grammy,

Let's be honest here, the chance you'll read this is slim to none (considering you don't know how to use a computer, let alone get to the website.) That's okay though, because I want to tell not only you but everyone else how much you are loved and appreciated. I have never met anyone with a heart as big as yours that fills our family with unconditional love. I take for granted having you and it never dawned on me that you won't be here forever, as much as I want you to be. I am fortunate to have you in my life and for you see me grow. Not many people I know have the privilege to know their grandparent. Now here's where I get to brag about you and hopefully get some brownie point or title of 'Golden Grandchild' for the day.

I was adopted, and my parents brought me home to America on October 4,1996 from Guatemala. I was greeted by numerous family members who spent hours in the airport lobby waiting for my arrival. To this day, even though I do not remember the day, I cherish the thought that I was immensely loved. One of the faces I met was my grandma, Bessie Kraker. My grandfather unfortunately passed four years before I arrived and two years before I was born. My grandma was beyond thrilled to become a grandparent again. Lets say I was a bit less thrilled. Not much has changed; I have been told I have a very serious face that's not always approachable. Well, Gram was so excited to hug me and kiss me and I looked terrified. Good first impression, right? To this day, I laugh at the idea my poor grandma thought she terrified her youngest granddaughter.

Fast forward a few years and my grandma has always been a major role in my life. My parents have a house upstate and and my dad frequently goes there on the weekends in the spring and summer. That means my mom and I would be home and we would usually go to my grandma's for the weekend and sleep over. My grandma would also come upstate with us for a week or two in the summer and it was a tradition that I always looked forward to.

My cousins and I often talk about how sassy and feisty our grandma is on a daily basis. She is always up to date with her nails and waxing and always reminds us how she does not want to dress like an 'old lady.' I'm fortunate enough, that besides some hearing loss, my grandma is all there and can remember any day from her past up to the present.

Now, this is where I am going to brag about how much I love her. I often wonder about the person I will be when I am older. Besides my mom, my grandma is my role model for the person I aspire to be. She did not have the luxuries in life that I have today. She was born in the time of the depression and times were hard, but family bonds were strong. She found the greatest love of her life- my grandpa. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting him, their love has never been a question in my mind. When she speaks about him you can see the overwhelming love she had and still continues to have years later. She raised two daughters and spoiled her grandchildren rotten. Despite health issues and going through open heart surgery, she has never lost her will to live life. Every day she gets older, and it's a reminder that time is an inevitable part of life. I plan on making that time valuable and enjoying spending much of that time making memories.

Thank you for being one of my biggest fans. Thank you for loving me and inspiring me each and every day. Thank you for being there to see me grow up, and thank you for being my grandma. I love you always and forever.

Love Always,

Kitty Cat