Annette Lee Mileka Holt

You always remember those moments in which your time spent with your family has affected you most; Christmas, Easter, birthdays, graduations, your family is always there. But we all know there is always that one person who holds it all together, the glue that keeps it all from falling into utter chaos; that person in my family is Grandmother, my tutu. She is a mother of seven, and a grandmother of nine, and she always has a hand in raising each and every one of those children. She never ceases to amaze me when she is able to name an entire family tree of one of my classmates whom she has never met before. It even amazes me to this very day how ready and willing she is to put the children above all. And all of those family gatherings are all spent at “Tutu’s house.”

Before I could even remember my tutu was always the one who knew everything. Now when I say everything, I mean everything. She knew about enough people on Maui to be a walking newspaper, and enough about her family to be the doctor they have to see. When I was little, she used to tell me and my cousin stories about what life was like when she was younger. Sad to say I didn’t really appreciate the things she told me, only because to me it made no sense. But somehow she manages to make it interesting enough by comparing the struggles and events in our life today to her life “back then” and she’s not afraid to tell us what she did as a teenager, and I feel like I can trust her in the same way. I can trust her with anything because I know if I tell her not to say anything she won’t, and I know that if I ask her a personal question she will answer me with an honest answer. She is not afraid to speak her mind and be heard as the caring woman she is.

Most likely my favorite quality in my tutu is that she will never give up on “the kids” as she calls us all. She is determined to bring us up to be young men and women so that we ourselves can be proud. She wants us to have dignity, a good sense of self-esteem, and a respect for ourselves that no one can take away. But I know for a fact that we try to put ourselves at the top of the list so that she can be proud of us. There is nothing like making her feel like her good grades that she got in high school didn’t stop with her. Even as a young lady, she got excellent grades and she was one of the best athletes on the island. When I asked her what she had to do to be so good at sports and school at the same time, she told me “you just have to like what you do and it will all just come to you naturally.” She also told me “you just have to make do with what you have.” And I agree with her completely. I try to make the best of situations because of her words and I try to engage in activities that I would enjoy even if other people think it’s boring.

I believe the strongest piece of character my tutu has is her will and courage. She will never let anything come between her and her family. She is not afraid to put herself in harm's way in order to save her family and the people she loves. She is truly an altruistic person that you can always count on to help you through your troubles. Whenever I am in desperate need of advice about the family, I go to her because I know she is a neutral party who will have everyone’s perspective in her mind so that she can give me accurate advice.

My tutu is a woman who has enough courage and determination in her heart to make grown men envious. She will never let anyone talk poorly about her family and loved ones, no matter who they are. And she will always put her family before all things in life. She is the type of person you can’t help but be drawn to. She is a true role model who fears nothing but fear itself and I will look up to her if ever I am in need of guidance because I know she will always be there and I love her for all time.