Grandma,
From the time Christian (my little brother) and I were babies you have taken care of us. When we were taken from our mom, for reasons that I still do not know, you took in two babies and never looked back. As I finish my freshman year of college I look back on all of those years living with you. I never realized exactly how much you gave up for us. You encouraged us to love our mom and never tried to change our views on our parents. You made sure we had everything we needed and most things we wanted. We went through some hard times with many deaths in the family and just overall hard situations, but we made it through.
In high school, you were at every band event and every football game working concessions. I think we both spent more time doing things for band than we did at home. I cannot tell you how grateful I was that you worked each and every event. You did things that other parents wouldn't do, like parking motorcycles all weekend at Bikefest each year or buying a whole extra pallet of mulch when the band ordered too much.
You did everything in your power to make sure we had the life we wanted. You worked so much harder than you had to just to make sure we were happy. Sure we fought, but you were my mother figure and isn’t that what mothers and daughters do?
I want to thank you for all the times you took my emotional abuse. You know they say that you take things out on the ones you love the most and I am sorry that I did that to you for so long. I was that typical teenage girl who did not want to take advice from you. I thought that I could handle all of my stress on my own.
I could not thank you enough for all the things that you did for me. You gave up 18 years of your life to raise us. You still give up so much and work so hard to help me and give us everything we need and want.
Thank you for all the times you tried to help me through issues even though I didn’t want you to at the time. Thank you for instilling good morals in us and encouraging us to go to church. Thank you for teaching me to use good manners wherever I go and to respect my elders. Thank you for never accepting anything but my best in school and encouraging me to try my hardest. For never taking "I don't know" or "I don't care" as acceptable responses to a question.
I guess what I am trying to say is thank you for giving up your life so that we would not be put into the foster system. Thank you for all the times you yelled at me for things that I did wrong. And thank you for helping me become the woman I am today. I will forever be thankful for you and all you did.
Love,
Your Granddaughter
