I made this tribute for my grandma. (Shirley Norwood) Why you ask? I decided to write this for my grandma because she is someone who is special to me that passed recently. My grandma was basically everything but, that would take too long so I am going to use three characteristics to explain the type of person she was. My grandma was hilarious, compassionate, and honest. How? WAIT let’s back this up a bit so I can tell you about her life. Shirley Jean Norwood was her full name. She grew up in Chicago with ten siblings which is a lot. When you have ten different siblings, that’s a lot of mouths to feed, so her family didn’t grow up with too much. As she grew up she was given the nickname, “The Bull.” I know, right! It’s such a random nickname! She was a tomboy and would always get into fights and get in trouble. Fast forward to when she had kids, her house caught on fire and she had nowhere to live, so she had to let someone take care of her until she could buy an affordable house. As you can see, my grandma had a bit of a struggle in her life but she learned life lessons from them and used them in her everyday life. Now that you know more about her background, I can continue to tell you why she was the best grandma.
Firstly, my grandma was the funniest person making people laugh left and right. She would say things she didn’t even mean because she was old and it would be funny. She was just a jolly person.
Secondly, she was compassionate because anytime I was having a bad day she always found a way to console me no matter the circumstance. She was compassionate because she showed that she loved her grandchildren everyday. For example, my grandma would always say yes to spending time with me and I always wondered why, but as I got older I realized that she didn’t have that much time left and she wanted to be a part of our lives. So even though she was sick, she still took the time to come to all my events and make me feel wanted.
Thirdly, she was honest no matter what. Maybe a little too honest! Even when you were crying, she would say “stop all that crying, you look ugly.” Did we stop? No, but we know she cared. Even though my grandma is gone or if yours is gone too, no one is gone forever, so just remember that and stay strong because I know it hurts.
Now that I’ve told you the kind of person she was, I can explain the person she was to me and why I want to show my appreciation. In the past, me and my mom didn’t get along too well and I would always get into arguments with her and end up crying and not wanting to stay at home anymore. I would go to my grandma’s house and I would cry and tell her all about what happened, but no matter what she always made me feel better. So if you have a special person or someone you miss that has passed, remember the good moments you had with them and try to think about the advice they left you with. The memories and lessons they left you with will remind you that they’re always by your side.
Lillian Granville – Marist High School – DMSF Class of 2029
Photo Credit: Lillian Granville