Through Thick and Thin

Photo Illustration by Willamae Boling| VOX Staff

By Crissinda Ponder
VOX Staff

My grandmother, or Gee as I like to call her, is my role model, and I have the utmost admiration for her. She is the most genuine person I know. She keeps it real and doesn’t sugarcoat her words. When I need advice about life, she’s the only one I feel like talking to. I trust her and I know she trusts me. She never fails to help anyone in need. When my mom and I have trouble making ends meet, Gee comes to the rescue, putting us before all her other priorities.

I can honestly say that if I didn’t have my grandmother, I would be lost in life. If more grandchildren took the time, they would see the hurdles their grandparents jump through, too.

Closer than Close
My grandmother has been in my life when others walked out, and she has been my guide through the most difficult situations. I remember being younger and feeling like I didn’t have a real friend at school. My peers didn’t seem to understand me and often rejected me because they thought I was too smart for my age. I felt out of place in my surroundings. Everyone else seemed to look down on me. But when I talked to my grandmother, she always reassured me by telling me not to worry because friends come and go. She’s lifted my self-esteem and given me confidence when I have felt my lowest.

My grandmother can find the good in any bad circumstance and make it seem positive. She taught me that no matter how bad things seem, they could always be worse. Just recently, I was upset because I had a slight car accident. I backed into a pole, and it made a dent in the left side of my car. When I told my grandmother, she made sure that I was okay and reminded me that my situation was nothing to stress over. She said: “A car is only material, and you can always buy another one. But you can’t buy another life. Just be careful next time.” My grandmother always knows the right thing to say.

My grandmother expects me to do even better than her own kids and stand out. She encourages me to keep writing and follow my dream to become a well-renowned journalist. She pushes me to stay focused and never sell myself short.

Staying in My Place
Although we have such an inseparable bond, my grandmother and I do have moments when we’re at each other’s throats. We have argued several times about how I want some of her “grandmotherly” attitudes to change now that I’ve turned 18 — like questioning my every move and being skeptical about me going out. I may say things that get under her skin and make her angry and want to yell. She may tell me something that goes in one ear and out the other because I have to have the last word.

But I try to keep in mind that disagreements are inevitable because we are not even near the same age. And usually if I am at fault, I apologize to show my love and respect for her. Because we seldom argue, as opposed to my mom and me, it’s easier to make things right with my grandmother. We meet each other halfway, and that makes our bond stronger.

Being Her Shadow
I’m my grandmother’s first grandchild, so I think that plays a part in our relationship and how close we are. I’ve been around her since I was a baby. Even as a child I followed my grandmother everywhere I could, sometimes to work.

Just to show my grandmother exactly how much I love her, every now and then I still pop in her office or cop a squat on her lap. If I had the opportunity, I would spend the entire day with my her. I feel that all that time together has helped me know her past a surface level. The more I’m around my grandmother, the more I can tell that we are really close.

Fortunately, I don’t have a problem being her “mini me.” My grandmother is a wise and open-minded individual, and I think highly of her. Whether it’s cooking, cleaning or doing her job, my grandmother is a hard worker, and I know that I have much more to learn from her.

Crissinda is a senior at Creekside High. She is officially an 18 year old!