Society has always had heroes. Some are larger than life and wear wild outfits. Mine, however, is usually in a button up, blue jeans, and work boots. My hero is my grandfather. He is my best friend, my mentor, and plays a major role in all of my best memories.

My grandfather is my best friend because of how much we have in common. In truth, I probably learned most of my likes and behaviorisms from him. He is always there for me whether it is three in the morning or three at night. He knows exactly what makes me happy and will go to any lengths to make sure I am happy. He spoils me like crazy and I am very grateful for it! He is the only person I am calm around. When I am at his house or in his presence, all of my fear, worry, and anxiety fades away. Being around him takes me back to a time when I was only worried about making mud pies and catching toads by the spring. This, for obvious reasons, is why he is my best friend.

My grandfather is my mentor because he is always ready to give the best advice. No matter what I am going through, or how bad I feel, he never fails to help through it. If I am sad, he comforts me. If I am angry, he shows me the way to peace. If I am on the verge of giving up, he gives me the strength to push on. He is not afraid to tell me what I need to hear, despite the fact that it may not always be what I want to hear. These are just a few of the things that make my grandfather my mentor

My grandfather has given me the best memories. Aside from the average wonderful childhood memories, there are a few specific memories that are extra special to me. Back in 2011, we took a trip to a ranch in South Texas called Cypress Creek Ranch. We also made a stop at SeaWorld along the way, where I was lucky enough to experience meeting Shamu the orca and tons of other aquatic animals. While at the ranch, I met several exotic species and made a ton of new friends. I met a chubby Axis deer, who I named Tubby. In the evenings he would come up to the porch and wait for me to come outside to feed him. I also met a friendly bongo who loved cuddling and having his head scratched. Perhaps the most memorable part of this particular trip was when I rescued a wildebeest from a very mean zebra. At first I thought the zebra was taking care of the baby, but upon further investigation we discovered that the zebra was actually trying to kill the baby. We hopped on our four wheelers and rescued him. Another great memory I have with him is flying in his Ultralight Aircraft. We would load up in our flying gear and fly all the way to the Red River, where we would then land on the gorgeous white sand banks and play for hours. One of my favorite memories with him is when I raised a hawk as a pet. We found her outside under a tree, starving and dying. I fed her and nursed her back to health. She was a part of the family! I taught her to come when called and dive out of the sky to grab food. These are just a few of the amazing memories I have with my grandfather.

It is plain to see that my grandfather is without a doubt my biggest hero, because he is my best friend, my mentor, and the architect of my life's greatest memories.