My Grandma

My maternal aunt gathered us together and we all sat on the couch. She turned to my mother and told us she had cancer. I looked at my aunt and I did not know what to say or how to respond. Three months later, my father received a phone call from his sister telling him that my pregnant cousin, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with leukemia and had to give birth to her premature baby. She and I grew up in the same house in Arizona and what hurt me the most was not being able to be with her during this difficult time. When we went to visit her in Arizona, my dad told us before entering the hospital room that he did not want us to cry in front of her. I was scared to enter. I did not know what to say to her but I knew I had to be strong. We stayed there for the holiday season but we never celebrated the holidays, that was too

The day my dad had a car wreck on the highway I realized how close I was to losing him. My mom got a call from a lady when she was at work telling her that my dad had been in a car accident on I-75. She went straight to the hospital where he was, not knowing his condition. My grandmother was taking care of me and my sisters that day. When my mom called my grandmother I knew there was something wrong. My grandmother didn’t say anything to me or my sisters. She didn’t want to scare us.

When my dad came home that evening he sat me down and asked me if I knew what cancer was. I had an idea so I just nodded my head, he went on to tried to explain to me how bad the cancer was that my mom had been diagnosed with. Seeing my dad so afraid scared me. The fear I felt then led me to realize that I needed to try and hide it because it would only hurt my dad more to see his children so upset. I did my best to help, I tucked my little sisters into bed while my mom was away at the hospital, read them stories and did the best I could at preparing snacks to comfort them. After my mom arrived home and she recovered from the surgery she started chemotherapy. The miserable treatment that attacks the cancer also makes her very ill. Every other week she was sick. Before every bad week I wanted to cry, but that wouldn’t help anyone. Lane and Kenna already were crying, if I cried it could only hurt my parents

My grandma had survived a hard life, and yet managed to raise four responsible, well-educated, and successful children. All this she did while working as a respected psychiatric nurse and a state mental health board member. Although she had had and was still overcoming trials in life, I always knew she would be there and cared about me and my life. As my brother and I grew older and were unable to visit my grandparents as often as we

My parents had separated at the time, so we had been living with my mother, her second husband and their two children. I was always helping out with my step brothers, and things around the house, because my mother was always at the hospital with my little sister, and couldn't come home. It was too far from home. At the time, we lived in Jarrell, Texas. Erica had to go to chemo and get blood transfusions. She lost her hair because of the therapy. I didn't know how to take it because I was so young. I was scared to lose the only sister I had.

When I was five years old I found out my sister, who at the time was two years old, was diagnosed with Cancer. This was a challenge for my entire family.

Soon came the day where a huge argument over a cable bill came way, resulting in cut ties for almost two years. I went two years without seeing my grandma, someone who I once saw every single day. I would drive by her house and want to stop in and say hi, but I was scared that the grudge uncle Tim had against my dad had transferred over to me. A crazy idea as I was about 13 at the time, and had nothing to do with the argument. Still even knowing that, I did not want to see the real outcome of what were to happen if I stopped in.

My Mom had Breast Cancer. She was a funny, brave, and loved dogs, heck! She is still like that to this day! But she was mostly brave I love my Mom and I never will stop and the thought of losing her back then was scary, I probably would have died too. That’s why it was a very tough and scary time for me and my family, but we pulled through this together as a family. I was six years old and my brother was either four or five. Because I was so young I don’t remember everything. Today my mom is a survivor and is cancer free.

I had never felt that I had much of an emotional connection with my Grandmother, due to the fact that, for all of my life she was extremely reserved about her past and personal experiences. This could have been derived from her stern and conservative Scottish upbringing. She rarely conveyed acts of affection or emotion. As she aged her mental state began to worsen, gradually deteriorating. So when I was old enough to begin to question her about these things, she would answer with vague blurred answers. Don’t get me wrong, I loved and cared for her dearly and I think in her own private way she reciprocated.

 Every struggle in your life has shaped the person you are today be thankful for hard times; they only can make you stronger- unknown. I feel that this quote best goes with my grandmother because of all of the events that she had to overcome throughout her life have shaped her into the person she is today. My grandmother, Earline Joy, was born in 1937 and is still living a wonderful life. The event that affected her life include Civil Rights Movement, segregation, and 9-ll.

When we realized she wasn't ok.When my sister was two years old we realized she wouldn't play like a normal child. She couldn't jump like a normal two year old or ride a tricycle. She started saying that her feet would hurt. My mom took her to the emergency room and the doctors would say that her feet would hurt because of her growth and told my mom to give her tylenol. My sister would cry every single day, my mom would get stressed because of her. Two years passed and my sister was finally four, my sister got worse during those two years she could even barely walk. My mom had an appointment with a specialist and my mom took her. My mom left like at five in the morning to my sister’s appointment I stayed home with my older brothers and my aunt. My mom got home around ten in the morning and when she got there she was crying.

During weekends with my grandmother I was taught a different way of thinking, my great grandmother is a very old fashioned woman because she was raised on a farm with eleven siblings. Her parents were married very young and as soon as they were married they began having children. My great great grandfather was the provider and my great great grandmother cooked, cleaned, and raised all twelve of her children. My great grandmother was the oldest and was expected to carry out the same chores as her mother, helping with housework and raising the other children, this caused her to believe a man was to provide and the house and children were women's work. My mother, however, believed differently she is a registered nurse at Cabell Huntington Hospital and both her mother and father worked full time during her childhood so she does not believe there is any difference in capability between genders. My aunt and uncle are very different than both my mother and grandmother, they are very country and believe the kids should spend time outside but just like my mother see no difference in gender capabilities. Between my great-grandmother, my mother, and my aunt and uncle I have been introduced to many different ways of thinking and this is what shaped my beliefs.

The person I have chosen to write about is my grandfather Juan “De Dios” Martinez. My grandfather has been a very influential part of my life. The fact that I am in this country, I owe to him and my grandmother and the struggles they endured coming here in the 60’s. His life has left an indelible impression on my life, and I feel an inescapable sense of gratitude and responsibility to him; to succeed and show him that his efforts for our family where not in vain.

First, there were certain times when my grandma had taken care of me while I was sick or needed her. I used to run high fevers when I was a kid. There were times when I couldn’t wear anything but a t-shirt with over a one hundred degree temperature. She cared about the importance of our family and put us before herself. She would stay up with me all night to make sure I was comfortable and safe so my parents could sleep. The amount of love and perspective she had shown and given me makes me want to follow her footsteps in my future.

As a young man, I was raised by my Grandparents. It was from my Grandfather that I learned how to be a man. From him, I acquired the value of a great work ethic, the importance of truthfulness, and of living a life that not only you but, of one that your family could be proud. My Grandfather would always say something impressing that having a good name would carry me further than anything else in life. There is an essay in Ideas Across Time: Classic And Contemporary Readings For Composition, by Igor Webb, in which Socrates makes a statement that reminds me of the words that I would often hear from my Grandfather. Plato writes, in Socrate’s Defense (Apology), after being sentenced to death, Socrates tells the jury that “nothing can harm a