The question you see on every standardized test, in every English class, and in every scholarship application. Who is the most influential person in your life? There are too many people I could choose to answer this question. However, there are two who come to mind first. The first one is my Grammy, April Dunham Lane. From a very young age, my grandmother was the first person I wanted to tell about my ideas of the world. Not because she is the only one who would listen, but because she was the only one who ever wanted to. Some of my biggest life lessons are those that I learned from my grandmother.
Number One. Grammy always said that the most important and unwavering love you can truly experience, is the one of family. As a 4 year old, I didn’t understand that, because how could you love family more than a popsicle on a hot summer day? However, as a 17 year old girl who has experienced break ups and fake friends, I know now that she was right all those years. Not even a popsicle could love me as much as my family does. That is one of the most valuable lessons my grandmother taught me. It is one that lives through me today, and will continue to live through me when I have my own family.
Two. My Grammy constantly reminded me to speak my truth, and to never let anyone tell me I can’t do something I believe in. Once again, as a little girl I didn’t understand this because I never held back what I was thinking, and no one was ever around to tell me I couldn’t be who I wanted to be. Unfortunately, in today’s world I encounter this daily. The world doesn’t let you have an opinion on anything anymore, but because of Grammy, I will never be scared to speak mine. I remember when I was 8, I told my grandmother I wanted to be a Popstar. Obviously that has changed now, but Grammy was the first person to tell me that she would be at all of my sold out shows. It’s the little things like that, that made me as determined and hardworking as I am today.
Finally, the 3rd and most important lesson I learned. Tomorrow is never promised, so we must make the most out of today. On Saturday, September 23rd at 12:00am, my Grammy unexpectedly passed away in the place I felt safest. Grammys house on North Grant street. The night before, she had texted me this; “Hello my precious granddaughter, send me pictures of you at your dance tomorrow. I know you will look beautiful and I am sorry I won’t make it up there. Grammy loves you.” I didn’t think anything of this because I knew tomorrow she would remind me again to send my photos. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case because for her, she didn’t have a tomorrow. My point is this. My grandmother didn’t have an ideal 76 years on earth. She went through a divorce with my grandpa and the love of her life, battled and survived breast cancer, lung cancer, and heart disease. Most months, she didn’t know where the money for her next electricity bill would come from. Even under these circumstances, she made the best out of it. Raising two beautiful children, letting her grandchildren run her around everywhere, even when she had to take her oxygen with her, and of course, ending everynight in a prayer. Everyday she woke up and decided she would make it the best she knew how. I will for the rest of my life, wake up and decide that I will make today a good day despite the obstacles I face.
Now the biggest thank you I will give to my grandmother is not a thank you for giving me candy, or for taking me to the zoo. My biggest thank you’s for my mother. The absolute strongest woman I have ever met. In times where she deserves to be selfish, she never is. On days where she doesn’t feel like getting out of bed, she always does. The days when no one is there to show up for me, I know she is. There are not enough words to tell my mom how thankful I am for her or how much I love her. Like my dad, I don’t talk about the way I feel a lot. However, I love to write about them just as my Grammy did.
When I was in kindergarten, we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wanted to be a mommy model. I still want to be a mom one day, but just like mine. Kim Pierce is kind. She is courageous and strong. She is loving and she is forgiving. She is who I want to be. I wake up knowing that today, tomorrow, and forever, she will be the first call I make when I get my heart broken, when I accomplish a dream, I am in trouble, or when I need advice. My parents raised me to stand my ground, but to love others the way I wanted to be loved. My mom raised me to believe that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. She might not be the best cook, but she is the best mother a daughter could ask for her.
So that’s my answer, two names, two people, and two of my biggest heroes. April Dunham Lane, and her daughter, Kimberly Lane Pierce. These women single handedly taught me that life is hard, and sometimes it sucks, but tomorrow will get better. The next day will get better and one day, those hard times won’t be hard times, they will be the moments that make you stronger. If someone asked me 10 years ago who the most influential people in my life were, I would have said Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. Today and until there is no tomorrow, I will never stop writing about the two who make me a better version of myself everyday. My grandmother and my mother, thank you for showing me the kind of woman I want to be.