She has never asked for anything other than my love. She is the supporter I constantly forget to thank. She is the underrated behind-the-scenes worker in my life that has done so much for me, a lot of which I know that I am unaware of. She is my grandma.
The thing is, not only do I have one amazing grandma but I am lucky enough to have two. Two amazing women that I can thank for their years of dedication to not just me, but our entire family.
I grew up very close to my grandmothers; not only in proximity but emotionally as well. Some of my favorite weekends were the ones I spent at Nana's house with my sister, spending the night watching movies in the living room eating popcorn and making more of a mess than actually getting any in my mouth. Nana introduced me to tea (something I am increasingly fond of today), and I clearly remember feeling very sophisticated when she would help me make my cup of tea-- you know, the kind that is mostly just milk in the cup? I'm proud to say my palate for tea has grown greatly in recent years; however, my favorite cup of tea is still the one I get to share with Nana when we get the chance to visit when I am home from school.
The other great weekends were the ones at Grammy's house, also usually spent with my sister but still magical in their own right. Board games were and are a staple at Grammy's, along with Grandma's dog (first Pico, then Millie) and sweets galore. Grammy helped build my appreciation for words and writing through the games we would play, and then as I got older also an appreciation for cooking and baking. She would always talk about new recipes she wanted to try, and she would teach me how to make the staples at family gatherings during the holidays. I am happy to say that my cheesy potatoes are passable, my baking skills always improving, but I will leave the ribs all to Grammy.
Both of my grandmothers supported my love and appreciation for all sorts of hobbies. They encouraged me as a child to try new things and even helped to jumpstart and maintain a lot of those hobbies. My sporting events were never complete without my grandma's present; neither were choir concerts, drama performances, academic banquets or especially my never-ending number of soccer games. They have both been there through it all, and I could not be more grateful for that.
My grandmothers fostered my appreciation for the amazing family that I have, and remind me constantly to be thankful that I am so fortunate to have been born into a loving and caring group of people. They gave me incredible parents, and a wonderful family to grow up with. They have helped me grow into the person I am today and I know they will continue to influence me for the rest of my life.
They are the best grandparents that a kid could ask for; luckily I never even had to ask.
