My Childhood Memory

One moment that I will cherish forever was when I helped her prepare dinner in her kitchen. I remember watching

While, my mother has also been a significant individual in my life, my grandmother has always been my confidant, someone I could go to whenever I was confused or needed guidance, and she always had the answers. Whether it was putting alcohol on a scrapped knee or lending a shoulder to cry on, I could count on her to be there during my most precious moments. The tough love has also

Through the entire milestone, she a person that you will never forget because she fills the atmosphere with warmth,

stayed strong even through the times that were tough. And final she lived on to tell our

memories she had with her, and her grandma was the only one that accepted the

As I become older the influence she has in my life becomes stronger. She’s everything I desire to be as a woman and I pray to become half the woman she is. Since I’ve been in diapers and even now in panties she’s still what I always want to

of our childhood and to take her mind off of the wedding stress as we were getting ready

I am a happier and more confident version of myself thanks to her love and constant care.

her and her children. In the process of me working full-time I convinced her to go back to school and she

I could tell that this was who she loved the most... ' Goodbye, Papa, you saved me. You taught me to read. No one can play like you. I'll never drink champagne.

I lived with my grandmother for the first half of my life. She practically raised me. Everyone in our village would talk about how much she spoiled me. She would go out of her way to get what I needed. One day I was playing with my friends, there was food in the house but I just wanted to eat snacks. I complained and whined about it until I got what I wanted she made my uncle go all the way into the city to buy me some snacks even though I could’ve just eaten what was in the house. She was a part of me. We had so much in common. My mom wasn't unable to raise me because she was living in America.

Growing up my family was always very close. We were always together; whether it was going to church or going to the ball field. My mother raised me as a single mother. She would work a lot of hours at work and my grandparents would watch me. They would take me to school and ball practices. Where sometimes my mom could not make it, she would always tell my grandparents to tell me something

One taste I will always remember is when my siblings and I would go over to our grandma’s house to make christmas cookies. I remember we would always just walk over, considering they are maybe fifteen seconds down the road from us, and generally it would be really cold outside. The cold air would burn our lungs as we would breathe it in, and those fifteen seconds felt like an eternity. Finally we would arrive, and the aroma of her house would rush out the door toward. The smell was so strong and sweet that we could almost taste whatever she was making without even taking a bite of anything.

I have a vivid memory of my grandma and myself when I was 6 years old. This was the only time as a child I was able to keep my eyes open on the “grown up” part. The movie was “What’s Love got to do With It” and there was a graphic domestic violence scene. The Woman in the scene was being beat by her husband, I remember being so scared. My grandmother sat me on her lap, looked at me sternly and made me promise no matter what never let a man put his hands on me. I made the promise then not knowing what she was asking of me. She was asking me to stop a vicious generational cycle. Months later that promise meant so much more than the connection to that movie scene. It became my reality.

As I take a look back on my life, I realize how great it has truly been. I had an absolutely amazing childhood and I am beyond blessed for it. I grew up in a home with two loving parents that have been with me through it all and now of days that is something to be truly thankful for. My parents taught me to strive to be anything that I wanted and that I could be anything that I set my mind to. These dreams changed throughout my life as I grew older and as I grew into the person that I am today.