"Dear Grandma,

Your wrinkles tell a story of how beautiful your life has been and how amazing it is yet to be."

-Unknown

As a little girl, you used to wrap my hair in rollers, color poster boards with me, and talk endlessly about nothing. I can still remember the time you bailed me out of daycare. As soon as I saw your face walk through the door, I lit up into a huge grin. My arms wrapped tightly around you, and I had never felt so grateful to be able to have someone like you in my life. Ever since the day I entered this world, you have never let me down, and I am forever thankful for that.

Life has thrown so many rocks at you, but you never disappoint anyone. You raised five of your own children, and adopted one of your great-grand children, who really needed you. You've never gotten the real break that you deserve. You have always been busy taking care of everyone else, that you haven't gotten to take the chance to just be on your own.

Grandma, I wish I could trade places with you and let you live the life you deserve. If I could give you another sixty years, I would do it in a heart beat. I want you to be able to go discover the world, to be on your own, and do nothing but take care of just yourself and not worry about everyone else for once. You're the most amazing woman that I have ever met and you deserve to be able to go do whatever your heart desires.

I know that one day you won't be here with me in this world, so all I can do now is cherish the time that I do have with you. I can't imagine my life without you because you've been my rock for so long. You taught me how to love everyone, how to be a strong woman, and how to not take crap from anyone. When the day comes that I lose you, instead of crying, I will smile because God blessed me with the best and only, grandmother that I have ever had.

Now, lets be honest, there has been some times where you could get a little wild. Like the times you told me how I needed to find a boyfriend, or where I would find you trying to do the grandma style of the wobble and my favorite is when you get your generation of the two step different from ours. You have given me so many memories that I will remember for the rest of my life and I hate that one day I am going to have to lose our annual baking sessions where we would just talk about anything and everything. Words cannot express how thankful, and blessed I am to have you in my life.

Next, when people ask about you, I say this: From a young age you became my support system. You did anything to make me smile, even if you had to pack up your whole house and act like we were going to Barbie's beach. You are a woman who has never let me, or anyone down for that fact. You haven't had the easiest life, but you've made the most out of it and have always came out smiling. You were married at eighteen, and had five kids within ten years. You went through the biggest heart ache a mother could go through and lost one of your daughters, but you also took on the challenge of raising your great-grandchild. You are so strong, and so brave, my only wish in this life is that I am at least half the person that you are.

Finally, I would love to give you a big thank you. You have done so much for me and I will never be able to pay you back for everything. You are the best grandmother that I could have ever asked for and I don't know what I would've ever done in the life without you. Thank you for everything, Grandma and I love you more than anything.

Love,

Kenzie Loryn