A Letter To My Nana

Nana, you are who I aspire to be.

You are generous and forgiving, yet you don't put up with crap. You stand up for yourself when necessary, and know when to back down as well. You live your life to support other people and always put yourself last.

You are patient and kind. You are understanding and caring. You are hard working and have always supplied for yourself. You stand up for yourself and what you believe in and won't put up with crap. You will do anything for your friends and family expecting nothing in return. You are a wonderful mother and grandmother. You always have a smile and don't let things get you down. You spend countless hours helping others. You are a strong and independent woman. You are everything I want to be.

Yes, I have different political views, different career goals, different family aspirations and different religious views, but in no way does that change my opinion of you. Sure you may have worked in a different place than me, but that does not mean I can't follow your work ethic. Sure you may be more conservative than I am, but that does not mean I can't stand up for my own opinion and be open minded about other opinions like you. Sure you live in a smaller town than I want too, but that does not mean I need to be any less kind to my friends and family.

By looking past these small differences I can see the wonderful personality and core values that make up my Nana. Anyone you ask will describe you as an amazing person. You receive great love because of the love you have for others. I can only hope to be as kind, generous, humble, forgiving, strong and caring as you. I am so incredibly lucky to have a person as wonderful as you to look up too.

You are never appreciated as much as you should be, and I am so sorry for that. Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for raising my mother. Thank you for the random texts of needing tech help that brighten my day. Thank you for your patience with my crazy personality. Thank you for letting me stay with you every summer. Thank you for everything you do for our family (we can be a handful sometimes). Thank you for always asking what I want for dinner. Thank you for making crescent rolls at thanksgiving. Thank you for coming on vacations to our house. Thank you for letting me pass your levels on candy crush. Thank you for being my shopping buddy. Thank you for letting me sleep in when I stay at your house. Thank you for keeping a room for Mackenzie and I. Thank you for everything you do. Thank you for being an inspiration to me. Thank you for always being yourself.

With the greatest love,

Riley