We are all surrounded by a countless number of individuals who strongly influence our lives in many different ways. These individuals help determine our character and mold us into the individuals that we have and will become. However, for most, there is one person in our lives that holds greater influence above all. This person is one that we love, admire, respect and cherish because of the beauty, enjoyment, and blessings that they bring into our lives. For me, this person is my Grandma Crites, who has done everything in her power to guide me down all the right paths in life. She has dedicated and has spent a lot of her time preparing me to ensure that I have all the necessities to reach every goal I set, to follow every dream I have, to live the most gratifying life possible, and to become the best person that I can possibly be.

My grandma has always made it a priority to point me in all the right directions. She has always seemed to have all the right answers to every question and every problem that I have. Since the day that I was born, she has continuously taken great pride and commitment in teaching me all the skills necessary to lead a pleasant life. She introduced me and taught me about our Savior Jesus Christ and emphasized how important it was that I obey Him, give my heart to Him, live my life for Him, and to serve Him. She taught me to have faith and to trust in Him when my life is like a storm full of difficult situations that make living seem impossible and that it is just as important to do the same when life is sunny and bright and is everything I could imagine a happy life to be. She taught me to be respectful to others and to take every opportunity that I have to help make someone’s life better, she taught me to be independent and to do things for myself, she taught me that is better to give than receive, that it’s better to love and not hate, she taught me to always have confidence in my abilities and to never give up regardless of how many times I have tried and failed, but most importantly she taught me that everything I have faced and am yet to face in life, is all part of God’s plan and his purpose for me. When it all comes down to is, she taught me how to be me and strongly highlighted that I was created in God’s own image and that I should always love the person that I am and to look in the mirror and smile at what I see.

My grandma has helped me in an infinite number of ways and is someone who I will always look up too. She’s the person who rises above them all. There will never be another person in my life that could teach me as many important things in life as she has. She deserves every ounce of credit for everything that I have achieved in my life thus far. She is solely responsible for all my accomplishments because she is the one who made them all possible.

As I age and continue down the path that God has chosen for me, I will carry all the knowledge and love that she has given to me and utilize it in every chance that I take and in every choice that I make in life. I am truly grateful and blessed to have such an inspiring and amazing person to be a part of my life. I could never find a way to express and fully show my appreciation and thankfulness for all the happiness, joy, optimism, prosperity, and love that she has brought into my life.

My grandma is the foundation of my whole world and although she will not always be here with me physically, she will always be the best thing in my heart. I love her more than words can say and everything that I do is for her.