My grandfather

Throughout the most important moments of my life my grandfather has always been with me. I am almost 18 years old and I have memories with him since I was a little girl. He has supported me in every decision I have made. Even though I have changed a lot since I was a child, he continues to be a great support and example for me. He is one of my favorite people in the whole world. 

The relationship I have with my grandfather has changed in several ways over the years. I remember when I was a child he was very quiet and serious. He only spoke when necessary, smiled only at special times, and was very affectionate only with me. I was his first granddaughter, so I guess that's why there is a special affection. On the other hand, when I was younger I was much more outgoing and talkative. So I was always the one talking all the time and he just listened to me.

One of my fondest memories with him was when I got out of kindergarten. That day they congratulated and gave honors to the best students. I was very nervous, because I didn't really consider myself as a good student. However, I wanted to get those honors to make my grandfather proud. At the ceremony I was very anxious, until I was named among the list of the best averages. I felt really happy and when I went back to see my grandfather he was smiling. I could feel in his eyes the happiness and pride he had. That made me even happier than I was. When the ceremony was over, I ran to my grandfather. He welcomed me with open arms and gave me a hug that made me feel very peaceful. As we hugged, he told me how proud he was of me, and then he cried. That surprised me a lot, my grandfather didn't usually show his emotions. I felt special for some reason. It is inexplicable when you have that loving relationship with someone and little details make you feel so good. After that we took a picture, which I love very much and years later we recreated.

I have always seen my grandfather as my father figure. He makes me feel good about myself. When my mom and I argue, he is always there to give me a hug. Those hugs that give me a lot of tranquility and peace. Which are like a relief in times of stress or sadness. In the last few years we have changed. He is much more talkative, shows his emotions more and even laughs more. On the other hand, I became more shy and don't talk much. I even find it hard to talk to others sometimes. I still don't really understand how we came to reverse roles. Sometimes I think about it, and I consider it weird and funny at the same time. 

Sometimes I feel a little nostalgic. When I was a kid our relationship was a little more loving. It still is but I feel like it's different. It might be that it used to be just me, now there's my sister too. I also think it's because I'm not as outgoing as I was as a child. But the good thing is that even though he doesn't understand what I like or how I act, he has never judged me for it. Which is actually very reassuring. He really feels like a breeze of peace in my life and is a guide for me when I feel like everything is going wrong for me. 

Even though some things in our relationship changed, the desire to make my grandfather proud again remained. So in the last few years of high school I tried too hard to get honors again. It wasn't one of my better ideas. Especially because I didn't know how to handle my stress. It feels horrible when despite your best efforts you don't get what you want. It was very frustrating to keep good grades all the time. In my second year of high school I had one of my worst crisis as a student. I remember one day I came home in tears. My eyes were burning and I had a horrible lump in my throat. The only one who consoled me was my grandfather. He didn't even understand why I was crying so much because I didn't tell him. In spite of that he was the only one who gave me a hug and tried to calm me down.

When my senior year came, I managed to get honors. Again I felt that feeling of happiness like when I was a child. At the moment they gave me my medal and diploma, my grandfather looked at me with the same pride as before. This time he didn't cry, I did. I must admit that now I am more tearful and sentimental. My grandfather hugged me and told me that I would always be his proudest pride. Which made me cry even more. All the effort had been worth it in the end.

Finally, throughout my life I have changed a lot. This due to many factors in school and my family. However, my relationship with my grandfather is one of my favorite things. Many times we don't understand each other but we always listen to each other and love each other very much. My family has always been supportive, but I feel that he is the only one who has not judged my decisions. He is a being that gives me peace and tranquility that I still don't understand. He is that kind of human being that we all need in our most difficult moments. I love him very much.