riley06’s Blog

When many people are asked who their hero is, their answers tend to be a bit cliche more often then not.  They come up with a famous football player, or a generic “leader” that they do not really know much about.  To me, my heroes are the people in my life that have taken the initiative to make life better for another person.  Any parent who makes sacrifices for their child is a hero.  Any neighbor that lends a helping hand when a family down the street is going through a hard time is a hero. All the teachers that have devoted their lives to inspiring youth to be the best they can be are heroes.  It’s the people that take actions without being asked, because they know it is the right thing to do.

About a month ago, my only grandmother passed away.  For the past 13 years of my life she had been confined to a nursing home, and while I visited her as much as possible, I never got to see her in her “natural environment.”  Her passing left me feeling empty, like I barely knew the person who was essentially responsible for my existence.

A week after her death, there was a small remembrance ceremony at the nursing home she had lived in.  I entered a room full of elderly men and woman, with clouds of white hair and biphocals that took up half their faces.  When there was an opportunity to share thought about her, nearly everyone in the room, faces tear-stained, voices quivering, would tell stories of her selflessness and optimism.

As the weeks progressed, and my family went through the pain of the loss, I continued to hear a common theme of the stories of her. It was something that I knew, but didn’t necessarily know the magnitude of. She never complained, and never spoke ill of anyone; ever.  My grandma lost her husband when my dad was fifteen years old, and in 1965, being the single mother of two was an extremely difficult task.  But my dad, who had more appreciation for his mom than any other son I’ve met, recollects that she never once complained, or blamed her misfortune on another.  In her final days of life, in which she should have been in a serious state of discomfort, she always made the best of her situation.  She told us how much she loved us, and how much she appreciated the care the nurses, doctors, and specialists gave to her.

To be, this nature of kindness and optimism that she exibited all throughout her life makes her a true hero.  I am blessed to have part of her with me, and look to her as an example of how to live my life.