Potato pancakes are my favorite food and Kit-Kats are my favorite candy. I know that seems like an odd way to begin telling everyone why I am so in love with my grandparents, but trust me, it will make sense. My grandparents, Ruthe and Paul Martin, are some of the biggest influences in my life. They lived only two streets over from me for most of my life and about six years ago they moved so they were right down the street from my house. Over the years, I've walked/ driven/ rode my bike down to their house at least once a week to visit. Even though we are all really busy my family still makes it a habit to visit on Sundays. I know these visits mean as much to them as they do to me.

Grammi and Poppy have always been there for me. My earliest memories are of my cousins, brother and I playing at their house. From making forts on the stairs to making up games in the backyard, sleepovers to holidays, everything from my childhood consists of some time at my grandparent's house. When I was younger, at my grandparents' old house, my grandfather and I had a tradition. Every time I came to visit the two of us would walk up the huge hill he lived on to a neighbors house. The neighbor had a short wall in front of their yard and a fake deer surrounded by flowers for decorations. On each of these walks, my Pop would bring a Kit- Kat for the two of us to split. These simple walks with this simple snack had such an impact on me that to this day, Kit-Kats are still my favorite candy. I always associate that snack with him and the special times we shared together.

My Grandpa is one of the coolest people I know. He's filled with crazy stories about his life. Every time we see him, Pop graces my cousins and me with a new story about his childhood and what it was like growing up in Pringle with six other siblings in a two bedroom house. As you can imagine, the stories are pretty wild. My grandfather has influenced the way I think in many aspects. He is not afraid to speak his mind and truly does not care how people view him. He's taught me to be tough and always look out for myself. But he's also given me his Irish stubbornness and desire to be independent. I suppose these aren't the worst qualities he could have passed on.

Grammi is quite the character. She is definitely one of my favorite people in the world. Grammi is forgetful and clumsy and loving and smart. She is a whiz with numbers, a trait I unfortunately never inherited from her (I did get the forgetful part, though!). My grandmother is the most amazing cook I know. My favorite dish that she makes is, I'm sure you can guess it, potato pancakes! Her mother made them for her when she was a girl and she has continued the tradition with us. Potato pancakes are just one type of food which represent the delicious culture that comes with being Polish. Through my grandma's cooking, I am able to experience this part of my background which is so important to me. I can honestly say I've never had potato pancakes as good as my Grammi's and trust me, I've looked. Just like the story with Pop and the Kit-Kats, Grammi and her potato pancakes will be forever ingrained into my memory.

I believe that knowing who you are and where you come from is very important. My cultural backgrounds, Irish and Polish, along with other ethnicities, have helped shape me into who I am today. Through my grandparents, my family has been able to keep the traditions of these backgrounds alive. I also believe that everyone you meet, especially your family, transform you in some way. I was lucky to be blessed with such wonderful grandparents, who are always willing to sit and talk to me and show up at every event that I am involved in. They've influenced so much of who I am today, so if you don't like me, you can blame them. But really, I'd like to take a few minutes to thank them for being the amazing people they have been all these years. Cherish your grandparents because one day, things will change and you'll realize you haven't spent as much time with them as you wish you had. So to Grammi and Poppy, Ruthe and Paul, the crazy people who have changed my life just by being in it, thank you for loving me unconditionally and for always getting me attached to different foods.