Momma said, "Go to school first and worry about these dudes, later." GMomma said, "Be a woman of your word." Papa said, "Don't worry about what other people got going on, worry about you because the bills don't stop." .... Unc said, "Fuck these lil niggas."
I remember all the advice yall told me and I lived by it. Collectively, I give every single member of my immediate family credit for constructing me into a strong and independent woman. For as long as I can remember, they have always pushed me to work hard and use my brains to get to where I want to in life and take the world by storm when I get there. I am grateful for them. Growing up, my grandmother started me off early into academics, and... I was educated young enough to the point where I had the option to skip the first grade. I have always given my grandmother credit for motivating me that young to be so driven academically because I still have that characteristic to this day. My grandmother, she is THE woman in my life because she has always been on the sidelines at every game (life event, obstacle, achievement...) cheering me on. If there is one person that I would give my life for, it is that woman. My grandmother is a woman that is opinionated, sarcastic, and a good woman by her own definition. There is so much that I get from her, that I think that in some way, I am her. I cant tell you how many times I piss people off for being opinionated because she has always taught me to be honest. Or, how many times I am sarcastic because many of us in the family have a hard time confronting our problems appropriately. And, let's not talk about being a good woman by my own definition because I pride myself on being the person that I am proud of instead of conforming to the person that people want me to be. I am simply.... Bree. My mother, our relationship is less intertwined than my grandmother and I's relationship, but she has taught me just as much. My mother was the one that motivated me to pursue a degree in the first place because I got to observe how her life played out from dropping out of college after getting pregnant with me, and understanding that I could do better than she did if I don't make the same mistakes as she did. I prided myself on graduating high school and getting this far in college because I am the first to so and because she never got to do it. Even though we have our moments, I always felt that when I got my degree... it would be the one thing that would make her proud of me because she has always pushed me when it came to school. My mother used to say... "Wait until after you graduate college to date." .... and, I used to think that was the most unrealistic and naïve thing to ever be said, but I completely understand now. Dating, and unsuccessfully dating, can distract you from being successful in college... and I remember times that I wanted to drop out and transfer due to complications with dating and if I just would have NOT done it in the first place... maybe, I would have had an A in that class or passed that one test. You know? For my mother... I am grateful. When talking about my grandfather, that is my second father, and he never fails to spoil the hell out of me in all aspects. Although he is tough, he has been one of the people in my life to give me the BEST life advice that is sometimes the hardest advice to follow. For anyone that knows me, they will understand that I am big on confrontation regardless of who, when, where, or how. For people that know me as of now, they will recognize that characteristic might have changed a whole lot ... which, I owe to my grandfather. There have been times where I have gotten upset around him and he will say, "I don't know why you're getting upset, because it isn't going to change anything. Crying does not erase the problem and getting angry does not make things better. All of this is just.... life." And, through him, I think that I am gaining maturity and wisdom. I cannot include all the things that I have learned from every person that was in my life because that'll just be a book, but I just hope that those people know that I am listening and learning. I am who I am today because of the things that my family members yelled at me about, lectured to me about, and some more some.....and, today, I just want to say thank you.
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