Growing up, I have been blessed with many relatives. Most girls get a delicate grandma who loves to bake cookies and crochet. I didn't quite get that Grandma. I did not receive a Grams, Grammy, or G-Ma. I got a sassy, dream-chaser, hard-ass Grandmother.

My Grandmother is one of the most determined people I know. She still chases her goals and dreams as a Great Grandmother, today. My Grandmother has always inspired me to "start now, don't wait until later." She has continued to encourage me even if I don't see her every day.

I could remember being younger and telling my Grandmother about these amazing recipes I wanted to try but I didn't know where to begin. Well, she'd move us to the kitchen, pick out one of her many cookbooks and tell me to start here. We'd spend a few hours trying a new recipe for mashed potatoes. We'd learn from the experience and teach each other a new trick.

I loved to play arts and crafts when I would come home from school. My Grandmother would let me use any office supplies I needed to make whatever that was in my head. There were endless possibilities when you handed me every color marker and any scrap of paper I could get my hands on. She would always compliment my work when it was dry. I like to believe this sparked my future for graphic design.

My Grandmother always talked to me like I was another person. I was not just a sixth grader going through middle school and hating life, I was a person with a voice. She gave me life advice and gave me the truth. She never sugar-coated the truth. I needed that someone who was real with me.

I watched my Grandmother typing and researching facts for years. From before I was born, she was writing and gathering for a history book. My whole life I knew she was working on something important. When I was in high school, the book was published. I remember seeing her hold a copy of the book and seeing the accomplishment in her eyes. Something that I had seen her work on my whole life was finally a reality. I only hope to make a project like that come to life someday.

My Grandmother is not a Grams, Grammy, or G-ma. My Grandmother is not like the other Grandmas out there because she is mine. She isn't a delicate little lady. She is a role model, a rock, a straight-forward woman. I hope to be as laid back as her someday. I hope to encourage my daughters that come after me, like my Grandmother has encouraged me. I hope to accomplish my dreams no matter how many years it takes. I hope to stop and smell the roses like she has. I am so blessed to have a Grandmother.