Emmy is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin who I have known my whole life. I know she is very comfortable with her grandparents who I have met myself multiple times. I thought it would be interesting to hear her thoughts about their impact on her.
I asked emmy to tell me a little about their relationship. " My grandparents are my little bundles of joy." I then went on to ask what she admired about them. She immediatley repsonded with "I am in awe of their ever-constant positive attitudes despite the challenges they have overcome and are still experiencing. Anytime I call them, they have this power to instantly make me smile and start hysterical laughing on the phone regardless of where I am or what I’m doing." I asked if there was a specific memory that she thinks of when she first thinks of her grandparents. "Each time I laugh around my grandma, she repeats, “I love that laugh.” My grandparents are the two people in the world who I can go to with a problem, or with an upsetting situation and they automatically help me feel calm and safe, making the conflict seem minute." Her grandparents are a safety zone for her. They are the people she wants to include in her accomplishments and daily life. She knows they will always be there for her and will never get angry or discourage her. |
"They manage to make me feel proud of myself even when I have failed. The first people I call when I get a good grade on a test are my grandparents. Just recently, I received a 99 on my international relations midterm and I immediately dialed their number. They were overjoyed and started screeching on the phone, they couldn’t contain their happiness."
They are always motivating her to continue succeeding. To me, it seems they are the voices inside her head that tell her what is right from wrong. She continued to say "Soon enough the lecture started, where they excitedly explained how I would go on to achieve great success in this area and have a rich career. Anytime I have any history or English questions I know I can turn to them. Even if I don’t actually need help, I know they love to feel needed and the joy they get out of me going to them for help is worth the extra phone call." "For instance, in middle school I had a project where I needed to interview my grandparents about their childhoods and compare their stories to my own. As a result of this project, I gained a deeper appreciation for my grandparents and their drive to succeed. Both my grandfather and grandmother grew up in lower class homes without any safety net, and it was up to them to create their own success. Although I can’t pin point each specific way in which my grandparents have influenced me, I would argue that they have had a greater impact on my dedication to my studies, my extroverted personality, and my love of laughing than I realize. They have always been there for me and I know that no matter how hard I fall and what mistakes I make, they will be there to build me back up." |