My grandma was born into quite a large family. With seven other siblings, she found herself growing up in a small, crowded home. Her parents were far from rich, so she had to work hard for everything she wanted. Being born the first out of these other seven siblings, she found herself babysitting her other siblings quite often. Additionally, she managed to work at a local drugstore full-time along with going to school.
In this two bedroom home, the tradition was that the woman did all of the work around the house while the guys did whatever they did. Since she was the oldest, she did the majority of the work around the house. All the girls in the house worked, but the guys did not. She had five brothers and two sisters, and the woman always worked harder than the men. The boys got to go out and do as they pleased while the woman were stuck laboring in the house. Life has never been easy for my grandmother. Her childhood life was filled with some difficult decisions with minimally positive outcomes. For example, on several different occasions, she had to choose between a sandwich for herself, which would be the only thing she ate that day, or a couple loafs of bread that would feed the whole family. She always chose the latter.
Furthermore, at the tender age of 14, her parents asked her to quit school because they were in desperate need of help around the house. She did not quit. She did not give up. She showed a never quit attitude that I admired and loved about her. She continued working, going to school and she even did more work around the house. Sometimes, she would have to work several miles to go to work because she could not find transportation. Growing up, the family had one car and that car was not in very good shape.
After years of struggling and relentless hard work, she was rewarded. She graduated at the very top of her high school class. Being given the title of the president of her class was no small feat. She was very proud of it, and so were the rest of her family. She went on to educate herself further by getting a college degree. She got a job at North Arundel hospital as an X-ray technician soon after. With her ever-positive attitude and never say die spirit, she turned her rough situation into a better one. She showed true courage in the eyes of doubt, and, for that, she is my hero.
She got married once at the age of 24, and got pregnant while she was married. This man was married to did not have a job. Rather, he had an athletic scholarship at the University of Maryland. He went to school, but he did not provide any income. At that time, my grandma had to work three jobs to support them both. They lived in a small home. In addition to working three jobs, cooking dinner and paying all the bills herself, she had to take care of her young daughter, too. He continued pursuing his studies over the years, leaving my grandma to work her butt off to make ends meet.
He left her and his daughter when she was only eight years old. At this time, he had his degree and he got a job opportunity in Texas, so he left the first chance he got. Still married, my grandma was supposed to come down there and live with him. She never did that, as he had already moved on from her. They got a divorce shortly after, leaving her to take care of her eight year old daughter all by herself. Although the marriage did not last long, the bond she began to build with her daughter is alive and well to this day.
Receiving minimal financial support from her now successful ex-husband, her and her daughter struggled immensely. They rented out an apartment for several years, until it got too expensive. My grandma then bought a trailer, which they lived in for about two and a half years. My grandma continually told her daughter, my mother, not to call it a trailer. Rather, she wanted her calling it a mobile home because it was their home, not a trailer. She was determined to get out of that situation. After those two and a half years, she finally had enough money saved to buy a house. In her early 50's, she put down a mortgage on the first and only home she would ever live in.
In her life, her kindness has been mistaken for weakness. She is not weak. She is strong. In fact, she's stronger than she gives herself credit for. She has been living with Type 2 Diabetes for over 15 years now. It has not been easy for her, but she is healthier now than she has been for a while, and I am so thankful for that. My grandma just recently celebrated her 79th birthday. Although she has her good and bad days just like any other 79-year-old, she now lives happily and vicariously through her supportive and loving group of close family and friends.
Once, she took in an elderly foster adult into her home just to make sure she could be taken care of properly. She was younger than my grandma, but she had psychological problems. As of today, this foster adult is no longer with us. My grandma did everything she could to take care of this lady, but she just needed more help than my grandma could ever give her. This is the kind of person my grandmother is. She puts other's needs way before the needs of her own, and she has wrongfully been hurt in the past. She does not dwell in the past, and does not let her past define her. Rather, she lives life to the fullest, with a smile on her face and a pep in her step.
My grandma is one of the most important and influential people in my life. She has done so many amazing things for me in my life. She is the only grandma I will ever have in my life, and I could not ask for a better one. I would do anything for my grandma, and I am 110 percent sure she would do anything for me. She is more than a grandmother to me. She is my best friend.
Don't worry, Grandma. One day you will be rich and all of your dreams will come true!
