In preschool, I went to the shack for the first time during bird hunting season. Our first assignment in preschool was a show and tell project and all we had to do was go out and get something to bring back and show the class on Monday. So I told my grandpa I wanted a grouse feather for show and tell. My papa went out and hunted every second possible trying to get that bird for me. Later that day he came back to the shack exhausted and tired but he still kept trying to get that bird. When he went out went out later that night he finally shot that bird so I could have the feather for show and tell. This is one of the many examples of my papa's personality that I try to emulate in my own. My grandpa, I happen to call him papa has influenced my life in many ways. He has been a role model for me in my life displaying how to be a reliable person. While teaching me how to be reliable, he also showed me how to be tough. Lastly, he taught me how to be a good Husband/Grandpa/Dad. Let's start with reliability.

My Papa is definitely the most reliable person you will ever meet. He is never late to anything and he prides himself on that. If someone asks him to meet them somewhere at 5:30 he will be there at 5:00 no matter what the circumstances are. I like to emulate that in myself and so far it's helped me in school, sports, and even doctors appointments. On top of being on time, he will always get any job done that you need to be done, and the exact way it needs to be done. He is always willing to help and I can count on the fact that he is going to do a good job. This is something that I need to work on in life. I constantly am doing things to the bare minimum and at the last minute and it's a bad habit I'm trying to break. Lastly, Papa is always there when you need him. If you ask for help he will get to anyone as fast as humanly possible. It’s something I pride myself on and I have to give some credit to him for teaching me. Another lesson Papa taught me is toughness.

Toughness isn't something that I really recognized my Papa for until recently. About two years ago I had a really bad knee injury that included physical therapy, it was hard for me. I thought it was the worst thing ever until I heard my Papa's story. A bad back troubled him for years and yet he still worked through the detrimental days at the sewage plant. He invertedly taught me how to become a tougher person and how to deal with my own problems. Now physical toughness is important, but it's his mental toughness I really try to copy. My grandma was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 49 and when my papa found out he was dejected. It was amazing to me as a little kid how he still worked his long days and made it out to spend as much time with grandma as he could. It’s something I never hope to have to go through but I will know who to use as a role model if I have to. As time went on Papa finally retired and got to spend more time with grandma, but her conditions sadly worsened.

   My grandma's sickness grew worse and eventually she was submitted to hospice care. I don't think anybody could have handled it better than my Papa did. He showed me what a good husband should do in his situation. Instead of worrying about cancer and constantly fighting it all the time, he didn't bring attention to it and spent as much time as he could with her and did

whatever he could to help her. He dealt with the situation the way I would want to if I was in his shoes. After a while longer my grandma eventually died at the age of 55 and me and my whole family had a rough time with it. It was my papa who was able to keep my emotions stable and help me stay strong. He was a perfect role model for me and me wanted to follow in his footsteps and become like him. The way he kept himself strong was how I kept myself strong. Telling stories is something that he did constantly from when I was little until now. Now I can pass these stories down to my little cousins Landon and Alexandra who barely got to meet their grandma if at all. He has taught me how to be a good Father Husband and a good Grandfather.

So now we bring it back to present day where I am getting more and more like my grandfather. That includes becoming a reliable person, Learning to toughen up sometimes, Finally how to be a good role model for my future kids. Him getting the bird for me in preschool is one of the many examples of why my Papa is important to me. My papa is special because of how he can just change a life by just being himself. That man is so special to me because he has created a mini version of him without even knowing how he did it. All I can do is hope I can one day be able to tell as many wonderful stories and adventures like my papa can. With that, I want to be as great of a role model for my kids and grandkids someday. With all that I'm proud to say that I'm like my Papa.