Editorials
What Mom Means to Me
Kenneth
Dinkajay802@aol.com
Since the age of two, my grandmother was the only mother figure that I knew until I was fifteen. I still consider my nana, as I call her, to be the mother figure in my life even with my birth mother now around.
My nana has taught me everything that I know and that is why she is everything to me. I would say she is there 100 percent of the time when I need her. Growing up, she was very strict in raising me and it would bother me because I felt that since I was a boy it was too much protection. After coming of age, where I was allowed to understand things a little better I realized why she was that way with me.
There would be times when my grandmother would make sure that I came straight home after school and this was all the way up until I reached the twelfth grade. After school, I would have to immediately start my homework and she would go over it with me. If I didn’t understand something in school she would walk me through the steps/process until I fully understood it. This would frustrate me a little and her as well but she always had patience with me. My grandmother had plenty of patience with me when it came to school but she made sure I never played around with my education. She always understood that it took time to grasp certain subjects. If my grades lacked the first semester she was understanding but made sure they improved the following semesters.
She was very involved in my life and often would make trips to my school to check my progress and she still is but not too involved where my freedom is restricted. She allows me and wants me to make mistakes now and try to learn from them instead of having to tell me right from wrong. After those mistakes are made, she typically guides me in the right direction without becoming too preachy. I feel that I am getting the best advice from my nana because of her age and with age comes wisdom.