By Sabella Mendriski
You taught me to forgive, even if they’d hurt me
You taught me to be strong, even when I felt like the world was upon my shoulders
You taught me to heal myself, even as I struggled to break bad habits
You taught me to have compassion, even for those typically overlooked
You taught me to see the good in people, including myself, even when they didn’t deserve it
I remember when you showed me how to defend myself
I remember when you told me the stories behind your own toughness
I remember when we spent days together, reflecting back on everything that’d happened
I remember when I sat in awe of how you assembled all of the right words so fluidly
I remember when I realized that I wanted to grow up to be like you
Ever so often, I see you in the people who make me smile with their kindness
Ever so often, I fondly look back on the nights we spent binging movies together
Ever so often, I think of how I’m going to teach, just like you did
Ever so often, I wonder if I’ll ever be the kind of guide you’ve been for me, and so many others
Ever so often, I feel an aching pain in my chest, knowing that you’re so far away
I know what you’ve been through
I know what went on when I was too young to understand
I know how you sacrificed yourself to protect the people you care about
I know that you deserve the world, and that it didn’t treat you kindly
I know that you’ve done more than enough to be successful
I hope you’re at peace
I hope you’re well
I hope your efforts in your community are recognized and appreciated
I hope you know that you’re the strongest woman in my life
I hope that you know that you’re the best grandma I could ever ask for