The Chapters of my Grandmothers Life Essay Example for Free

The Chapters of my Grandmothers Life Essay An amazing, talented completely young at heart woman who has aged with complete grace and honesty; this is my grandmother, Gloria Whelan. I have dozens of perfectly clear memories from my childhood that would not be the same without her. I have always respected, admired, and attempted to pursue the astonishing way she has woven her faith and love into every aspect of her life. My grandmother recently had her eightieth birthday and is currently living in Northern Michigan with her husband Joseph. She has enjoyed a rewarding and successful career as a childrens author, and is well respected by her husband, friends, peers, and family. Her life, like many of her books, can be divided into chapters and the occasional picture that combine to paint the portrait of a truly remarkable woman. As we open the book of my grandmothers life, we see it began with a comfortable lifestyle, growing up as an only child. This was quickly catapulted into a much more meager living along with all families of America as the Great Depression struck. Her father lost everything he had, and her family was forced to move into apartment housing owned by her uncle. Everyone in her extended family had experienced a similar horrible loss and my grandmother found herself living amongst all her aunts and uncles. As an only child, she unconsciously seemed to fall into the roles of hero and lost child, diving into books in her spare time by always aiming high to reach her goals. Her relatives took on the mascot roles where holes had been left by the lack of siblings and she recalls many of their quirks or family humor from parties. The reality and difficulty of their loss was an incredible burden to her parents, and my grandmother felt that this affected her greatly. It caused to her always appreciate what she had, not only in terms of monetary value but also in terms of strong faith, hope for the future, family support, and good relationships. She always regretted not having a sibling, especially during these rough times where she found herself surrounded mostly by adults. During grade school, she pretended she had an older brother, and even named him Lancelot Reginald Bartholomew which obviously displays her creativity and love for imagination at an early age. Another thing that my grandmother regrets deeply was her parents being so overprotective. As an only child, it can be expected that parents are more defensive; however, my grandmothers parents did not allow her to participate in any physical activities, by herself or with other children. She was not allowed to bike, skate, or swim, and as a result never learned to how to do these seemingly universal activities. She feels that sports and exercise are important to social development and confidence as well as a sense of belonging with peers. At the young age of eight my grandmother came down with rheumatic fever which had her bedridden for a full year. Obviously, for an eight-year-old this is a very traumatic feat, which my grandmother found herself overcoming by diving into books. It was the beginning of a love that led to her career far before she could have guessed. It also allowed for introspective, personal time, which likely led to her great understanding of herself and others.