Person Who Influenced Your Life: My Grandmother
Nek, my grandmother, as she was fondly called had influenced my life in so many ways that it is hard to imagine that she was no longer with me. Big beads of tears streamed down my cheeks as I slouched lazily on the sofa thinking about the memories that we both treasured. Whenever I glanced at our family photo hanging in the living room, I would think of her laughter and jokes. Though she was quite old, she was very active and energetic. Her attitude towards life, her simplicity and heartwarming presence made her a very special lady. So this is an essay about a person who influenced your life where I want to write about my granny.
My grandmother was small and petite. She had curly grey hair and a wrinkled face. Her eyes appeared milky when she was tired but usually they were gleaming with energy. When she smiled, two dimples appeared on her cheeks. I could still remember, she liked wearing cotton ‘baju kurung’, Malay’s traditional dress with a scarf wrapped around her neck.
My late grandmother had been a responsible and dedicated educator for the past 30 years. She had always been the best no matter in school or at home. I heard from my mother that my grandpa had abandoned the family when my mother was very young. My grandmother single-handedly brought up eleven children. Although it was very tough, she managed to pass through the difficult days courageously. She had to give tuition classes to make ends meet.
I remembered when I was small, I had been a very notorious child. I gave her lots of difficulties but she was there smiling at me. She had always been there to share the triumphant and victorious moments. Whenever I had shared any disappointments and frustrations, she was always there with a kind word of comfort. My grandmother used to make funny faces at me just to cheer me up. She would also sing songs and tell bed times stories just to make me sleep. She was just like a ray of sunshine. She helped light the way. I had never seen her shed any tears. However, the god had taken her away from us.
Grandmother led a very simple life. She was not a spendthrift and did not believe in spending money lavishly. She was generous at heart and was actively involved in charitable organization like “Tzu Chi” and Cheshire Home. She always emphasized the necessity of being good-mannered and this was firmly imprinted in my mind even to this day.
Throughout her life, she had been very blessed with a healthy life. She always entertained us with her amusing stories of her vast experiences. She also had a good sense of humor. In her free time, she read news and played online games. These were her “best loved”.
To end up, my grandmother showed her care and concern for us by occasionally taking us out to eat in a well-ventilated restaurant which was situated a stone’s throw from our house. She strongly believed that every family member should dine together to foster good relationship. Until today, no matter how busy we are, every member of the family would rush home just to have a family dinner together. Unfortunately, she passed away two years ago.
