In Loving Memory

My Grandma, Marge Garrison, passed away on Saturday, August 16th. Although she will be missed beyond words, her passing made me reflect on so many aspects of my own life that I value, many of which can be attributed to her. Above all, I value my family and the values with which I have been raised. I often thank my own parents for their hard work and dedication to setting an example of how to live life as loving, compassionate, accepting people. I now realize these core values can be traced back generation after generation, leading to a family whose bond is unbreakable and whose love for each other overflows into everything they do. My grandma taught me to be confident in who I am and to be accepting of people of all races, religious backgrounds, social classes and sexual orientations. She taught me to stand up for what I believe in and to be proud of my accomplishments. Most importantly, she taught me to give love unconditionally to the people who are most important to me. She taught all of this by example; the best way to teach and also to learn. She loved her family, friends and all those she came in contact with in a way that could be felt just by being in the same room with her. I can only hope that I will be able to look back on my life with as much success in fulfilling those core values as she did. I love you, Grandma. Thank you for teaching me so much more than I could ever have asked for.