A Letter To You

Dear Granny,

My amazing beautiful grandmother. The greatest warrior I have ever met. I wish I got to say goodbye the way I wanted too, but I know there's a time for everything. So, this will have to do because I know you are listening from above.

I just want to say thank you...thank you for loving me. Thank you for being the foundation of my life. You showed me so many things in life that it's so hard to put into words. You showed me that knowledge is power. In today's society being an African American can be tough and dangerous, but being able to speak my mind and articulate in a well manner can help me overcome a lot of problems. When I was in elementary all the way up to high school you had me up every morning Monday through Friday reading the newspaper, then write 3 paragraphs about what I learned.I use to cry and complain so much about doing "pointless" work that I'm not being graded on, but because of your teachings I was able to graduated high school top of my class and go to college on a full-ride scholarship. Everyday I push myself to learn something new and develop a different skill so I can teach my daughter that education can open many possibilities in her life.

Thank you for showing me how to be a man of faith. Every Sunday you made sure my little brother and I were up and dressed ready to go to church. Even after church you would pray and read your Bible everyday thanking the man upstairs for providing for us. During my young age I never believed in faith because my mom suffered an aneurysm and was in a coma for a few months. It was hard to believe in a higher power when doctors would tell me my mom was going to die, but you would tell me to pray and to never stop believing. When I couldn't pray and my faith wavered, you would hug me and say, "God gotcha like I gotcha." Til this day I truly believe you faith and belief in Him woke my mom out of her coma and gave her another chance at life.

Growing up you would tell me to look at myself in the mirror and say " I am special." You truly believed I was meant for greatness. There were times when I was too hard on myself or felt like hating who I was, but you always knew when to pat me on the back, smile, and say, "I'm so proud of you." You truly loved me for me. I didn't have to become someone different or act "special" because you would preached what makes someone special is who they are on the inside and not what they look like on the outside. Your words and how you stood proudly of who you were helped me grow into the humble, strong, and confident man I am today.

If anyone had one word to describe who you were they would say KIND. You were the embodiment of how someone should treat others. You would take phone calls from everyone just to hear what they were going through, and you would give them advice and help them in anyway you could. There were times when you were so drained and tired from working a 40 hour shift as a nurse, but you never made excuses to help others in need. That made me want to be a better man because one person can help make a chain reaction that produces smiles and blessings for others. That is what life is about. It's about treating others how you would want to be treated and you showed me that.

In the dictionary the word perseverance means, "persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success". Everything you had to deal with in life you kept pushing and grinding to do what was best for our family. You worked hours upon hours just to put food on the table. When my mom was in the hospital fighting for her life, you made sure that when she woke up her sons would be healthy and alive. You pushed and fought through two rounds of breast cancer while keep a smile on your face through chemo and helping others at the church. There's not many people that can say they put others above themselves while dealing with the trials and tribulations you had to overcome. But, you did it with class and always told me there are people in this world that have it worst so be thankful with the life you have. When I felt like giving up at times I remembered there is someone always watching me and wanting me to succeed or fail, so I have to keep fighting at all cost and trust in myself.

I miss you so much. You are my role model. There's not a day that doesn't go by where I wish I could've said more to you. How you shaped me into who I am. How I am a better man, brother, son, and husband because of you. All I can say now is I'll make you proud. I love you

Love,

Your grandson