When I was little, my grandma Rainey raised my three cousins Austin, Ciara, Nevaeh, and my brother Payton and I--we fought and protected each other just like normal siblings would-- even though we are not siblings. These people are the best gifts God provided for me. No matter what happened, whether we were tremendously mad at each other or fought over the craziest things that did not make sense; we were there for each other no matter what and worked through the ups and downs twenty-four seven. The wisest person helped us through it all--my grandma--Joyce Rainey.
Life growing up with my cousins and Grandma was like growing up with siblings and a second mother I never had. We treated each other as friends one day and arguing siblings the next. I remember my cousins, my brother and I would make messes and never clean them up--we somehow got bubbles all-over the kitchen floor--I have no idea how it got there. Just kidding I do.
“Are you guys crazy?” Grandma Rainey yelled because we never listened the first time.
If we did not do what she said, we would have to stand in “the corner.” None of us liked “the corner.” When we paid our consequences standing in the intimidating corner, no one else was around--you would awkwardly be the only one in that area of the house silently waiting to go play outside with neighbor friends. She taught us to obey and respect our guardians.
Later on, we did not have to worry about the consequences because as we got older, we began to understand why my grandma was so stressed and annoyed and we were more mature. We gained more respect  for our grandma and started to clean up our messes without being asked. We overcame our dumb decisions and disrespect. We weren't bad children, it just took a while to learn from our mistakes since there were so many of us, we set good and bad examples for each other and did not think of consequences.

One day we decided to find the bubbles grandma had in the basement--no one could ever guess what happened next. Us crazy, unpredictable grandchildren decided to pour bubbles on plates and dip the huge plastic handles in them and blow the bubbles in the kitchen. Not only did we do that, but we dumped the bubble soap all over the kitchen floor. I can not believe why we did not think about what grandma would say or do. “What the hell are you guy up to. You need to clean this up right now and no playing outside today or tomorrow.” That as the biggest regret we had and never pulled that move again.

In our tween years, Grandma and my cousins moved to East Troy which was twenty-five to thirty minutes from my house in Milwaukee. It was hard because my brother and I struggled with convincing my mom to meet her halfway to stay there for the weekends to spend time with our cousins and grandma. It worked out for a while but when I was in eighth grade my grandma started to get sick.
  My grandma turned out to be as calm as breeze on a warm summer’s day--she did not have the energy to yell at the top of her lungs anymore. We began to mature and understand common sense. In my teen years I started to ask my grandma for advice; whether it was school, family issues, or boys. I began to get closer to my cousin Ciara who is one year younger than me. Not only did we vent to our grandma, but we vented to each other.

Every last day I stayed at Grandma Rainey’s I wished it was Friday again so I would not have to go home. I missed my grandma and my cousins the second I left the driveway--sometimes I wished the driveway was a day long (only when my mom came to pick me up).

My grandma was the most precious woman on Earth she passed away three years ago from this year. She was like a rose without thorns, she was like an angel who fell from Heaven, she was as calm as breeze on a summer’s day. She was my grandma--a second mom I never had. I do not know what my family could have done without her. She taught me right from wrong and  she taught my cousins, my brother and I how to look at life in a positive perspective.