Gayle Eleanor. To some it sounds like an ordinary name but to me it symbolizes a strong and unforgettable woman; my grandmother. My grandmother, with her wrinkles from years of smiling, a smile brighter than the sun, her blue-green eyes, and with her bug-eyed glasses, is not only someone I look up to but also someone I admire. Even though when I look at my grandmother and see a woman in her early 70s, I know she’s a woman who touches the hearts of others around her; especially mine because of her determination, and her kind heartedness.

Mrs. Smith, my grandmother, has a certain energy she creates when people are around her that makes people always feel welcomed. No matter what happens in her day, she is always there for the people she loves and cares about. As a newly retired 70 year old, my grandmother takes the time out of her day and visits her 99 year old aunt who lives in a nursing center. Even though she and her brother are the only ones taking care of her, she always prevails to be constantly there to take care of her by bringing her favorite foods and to chat for awhile. Once her aunt had a specific request about a style of a shirt she wanted. My loving grandmother went out to numerous stores looking for the exact shirt her aunt requested. After her many failed attempts, my grandmother decided to make the shirt herself from scratch to satisfy her aunt. Many people would have been fed up and given up by then ,but my grandmother strives to make people happy. Personally I believe my grandmother lives her life by the famous quote, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Not once has she ever acted in a negative way because she’s always considerate about how people would feel.

Kindhearted would be an understatement for my grandmother because what she does for others is beyond that. Currently, my grandmother is looking after a friend she has had for over 45 years. Her friend has been in need of support from others to help her, and without hesitation my grandmother helped her friend with all her medical problems to even moving houses. She is always there for people when they need her for help or moral support, even if she’s not asked. She would always say “Giving is better than receiving.” She rather give people everything they ever wanted rather than get the things she wants in life. Her huge understanding heart is a characteristic many people do not possess.

When looking at my grandmother, you can always see the determination in her eyes. In the spring of 2012, my grandmother was casually walking around her bathroom when suddenly she had fallen and had heard a pop sound come from her ankle. Later after my grandfather rushed her to the hospital, my family had found out that she had tore her achilles tendon and had to have immediate surgery. She was then put into a leg cast and couldn’t walk for weeks. At the time, my grandmother worked and was very dedicated to her job. She never missed a day and sometimes would clock in more hours to get things done. It was a huge roadblock for her. In the depressing stage in her life, she showed everyone how strong she was. Not only did she request a bright pink neon cast to brighten things up, but also had a scooter to roll around her house with. She had put a princess horn on the scooter to add some fun to her day even though the sound always annoyed my grandfather. My grandmother had even showed up to my 8th grade graduation in a wheelchair waving with a smile painted across her face. With her disability at the time, she was sitting in the stands waving and supporting me the whole time.

Back in the late 1980s, my grandmother had an idea to start her own party catering business. She had became a very well known party planner and decorator because of her wonderful service towards others. People would compliment her services and recommend them to their friends and families. After her months of a successful service, the job had taken up most of her life. She had realized she had achieved her goal of creating a job she loved but decided that working that hard for the job became a burden for her and her family. She noticed that she had no time for her family. My grandmother had made her customers happy with the decorations she had designed and made for them, but eventually decided to closed her business for her family. Everytime I visit my grandmother she always says, “You can go far in life if you go out, set your mind to it, and do it.” By now, that quote is stuck into my head because she always stresses how important it is. Throughout my grandmother’s life, she has always continued to strive for what she believed in.

Many people do not understand how much I love my grandmother. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to have her in my life and how she has greatly impacted it. Along with others, she has not only changed me as a person, but she is continuing to make me a better person each and every day. Throughout her life she has faced many challenges that are difficult to overcome from getting surgery to starting her own home business. Through all of her challenges she has had a positive outlook. It shows people how one can be happy in the saddest of times and never give up when things may seem down. This is why I am in awe of my grandmother because she is the most dedicated, loving, and joyful person I have ever met in my life.