~ MY HERO ~

This is  a paper about my Mom that Jordan wrote for a High School speech class in 2005.
I just reread it and decided I should definitely add it to my blog-journal.

~  Rosemary Nicholls Wilson  ~ 

My Hero

My grandmother, Rosemary Wilson, is the most selfless person I have ever met.  She has given years of service and sacrifice for other family members as well as people in her church and the community. Rosemary Wilson is always there to lend a helping hand!  My grandmother never complains about anything, she always seeks to find the positive in her situation as well as in other people.  I look to my grandmother as a role model as well as my hero.

My Grandma has been the caretaker of many people throughout her life.  She took care of her mother-in-law many years. We called her ‘Little Grandma’ because she was so short.  She also took care of “Little Grandma’s” sister, ‘Aunt Mary’.  Grandma Wilson also dedicated years to taking care of her mother, my great grandma Nicholls.  Grandma invited both mothers to move into their home instead of sending them to a nursing home. That was just out of the question!  My grandma took weekly trips to the library to get books on tape for her mother to listen to. I can just picture my Great Grandma Nicholls sitting in her recliner chair, with her feet propped up, listening to her books on tape while she did her knitting, crocheting, or word search books.  My Grandma Wilson always made sure that her mother had plenty of pretty yarn to knit blankets or slippers for babies or people in nursing homes.  Every weekend grandma would play scrabble with her mom. This was their favorite game. She always tried to keep her mind stimulated.  My Grandpa Wilson built a ramp in their family room so that Great Grandma would not have such a difficult time going up and down the stairs.  My Grandma didn’t worry about what other people would think when they came over, or that this might detract from the appearance of their home. What mattered to her was that her mother was safe and comfortable.

“Little Grandma”, “Aunt Mary”, and my Great Grandma Nicholls have all passed away, but my Grandma Wilson’s years of selfless service will continue.  My Grandpa Wilson has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  My Grandma has always considered it a privilege and honor to care for others’, so I know she will continue her pattern of love and selfless service as she cares for him.  Her power to heal, comfort, and meet others’ needs is extraordinary.  Somehow Grandma Wilson is able to help those she cares for feel special and never like they are a burden.    

Grandma is very reliable when it comes to carrying out her church callings and positions. She doesn’t think twice about taking a meal to someone or driving them to a doctor appointment or whatever they might need.  She learned this from her mother, and has passed these character traits on to her own five children. 

In 2001, Jessica Andrews released a country song called “Who I Am.”  The lyrics go like this:
 “If I live to be a hundred, and never see the seven wonders. That’ll be all right.  If I don’t make it to the big leagues, If I never win a Grammy, I’m gonna be just fine, ‘Cause I know exactly who I am!

 I am Rosemary’s granddaughter, the spitting image of my father, and when the day is done, my momma’s still my biggest fan.  Sometimes I’m clueless and I’m clumsy, but I’ve got friends who love me, and they know just where I stand.  It’s all a part of me, and that’s who I am.     

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I know exactly who I am-- I am Rosemary's daughter, and I am so in awe of her genuine charity and love toward everyone she knows.  Like Jordan said, she is the most selfless person I have ever met!  
Mom, I appreciate and love you so much!!  Thank you for your love and unending example of how to treat others.  I have learned so much from you as I have grown, and I appreciate you more and more each day.  I have watched you serve so many in your quiet gentle way. 
I know every little girl thinks their Mom is the best, but I truly do have the BEST MOM!  I want to follow your footsteps and the best compliment anyone could ever pay me would be to say I was just like my Mom!!!!

I LOVE YOU