My Grandmother's Bravery

My definition of a hero is not like another. It is a one-of-a kind hero: my grandmother. She is one of the godliest people you will ever meet. For me, my grandmother exemplifies what being a hero means. She compassionately loves everyone, is a fighter and overcomer, and stands up for what is right. 

My grandmother has many traits, but this one trait that really sticks out to me is her compassionate, loving heart. For example, there were a total of eight siblings in her family. All of the siblings were girls. Six of them were younger than her, and oftentimes she was the main caretaker for her siblings because her mother died while they were all young. She provided the love, care, and nurturing her siblings needed. In one instance, one of her sisters forgot her shoes at home as they went to school on a frosty, bitter cold morning. My grandmother sacrificially decided to give her sister her shoes. This was a very selfless action. Furthermore, back in the day, she used to wake up at sunrise and pick cotton until sundown. After a long day of working, she would come home and cook dinner for her five children and assist them with homework. Similarly, my grandmother reminds me of David in the Bible because of her compassionate, loving, humble personality--secondly, because of his bravery as little as he was and was able to stand up to Goliath. It is truly a blessing to have her in my life. One characteristic of heroism is my grandma’s compassionate and loving heart.

Secondly, a fighter and overcomer describes grandmother. My grandmother’s perseverance is not like any other kind. For instance, when my grandfather passed away over three years ago, there was a lot going on. There were several teary-eyed family members, but Granny remained strong. At the funeral, my grandmother stated, ”There is no need for crying, it was his time, and we will all see him again real soon.” In addition, she has had three strokes in the past year. This was really hard for the family to deal with because the doctor told us that she would die soon after her third stroke. However, she is a fighter and overcame, and God has continued to bless us an entire year since her diagnosis. She is still here and is well. When she was released from the hospital, she still wanted to make sure everyone else was taken care of. My grandmother is one of the strongest people you will ever meet. She is no ordinary hero.

Finally, grandmother stands up for what is right. She has endured a lot of prejudices in her lifetime. On a hot summer morning, my granny told me a story of when she was a young girl, about 12 years old. She was living down South and there were still segregation laws. She was going to a segregated school with black teachers and students only. However, one day she encountered some white teachers along the way. One of the teachers told her and her siblings that they would never be as smart as the other kids because of the color of their skin and because she had to miss many days of school to work in the field to help her family survive and make a living. Grandmother stood strong and proud and told her, “I am just as smart as the rest of the students, if not smarter.” My grandmother had a lot of courage to make a statement like that because during those days, that was unacceptable. She always told my siblings and me “to stand up for what is right, regardless of the outcome.” This is a quote that my grandmother always says inspires me to live my life in the ways she did.

In conclusion, the traits that are exhibited in the above paragraphs sum up of what a hero means to me. My hero is my eighty-seven-year-old grandmother because she compassionately loves everyone, is a fighter and overcomer, and stands up for what is right. The world is a better place because of my grandma. She epitomizes someone who gives of herself, often putting her own life at great risk, for the greater good of others. God made us all in his image. God really outdid himself when he created Granny. I thank God every day that she is my hero.