The Significance of Courage and Hope

My Grandma was the biggest part of my life; she was the one who taught me how important having courage is and how it impacts our lives.

Starting from the day I was born to only a year ago, she was like my second mother. Grandma used to pick me up every day from school and then take me home and watch over me. I used to worry a lot in Elementary school, but if I had a bad day at school it did not matter, because Grandma used to always have a saying or some advice to keep giving me hope to finish school.

The first day of junior high I started to get nervous because I didn’t like change. I didn’t even want to go, but mom made me. 7:30 am came around and there was Grandma out front of the house waiting to take me to my first day of junior high. I explained to her how I didn’t want to go and once again she talked to me until I had enough courage to start. I walked in the front doors and saw my friends, and thought about Grandma, and kept going. A few months went by and with the help of grandma I got through it. Before I knew it I was graduating Junior High and once again there was Grandma in the audience cheering me on as I walked across stage.

Before I knew it the summer of grade nine was over and it was time for grade 10 (high school) so I called Grandma to ask for advice. She like always gave me courage and hope to graduate and hopefully get a good job like my old man (dad.) Once again, before I knew it I was in grade 11.

The middle of grade 11 we got a call that Grandma had cancer. The doctor said she only had a couple of months left, but she didn’t believe him. Grandmas had the courage and hope to keep getting treated to hopefully make her feel better. The two months the doctor said she had went past like a speeding car. Grandma was still doing well.  I used to go see her every day at lunch and talk about whatever came to mind, just to take her mind off things, much like how she always did that for me.

Before we knew it a year went by and grandma was not doing well anymore, but she still had the same courage and she taught me to keep pushing. Unfortunately she couldn’t keep going anymore. Grandma passed away at Saint Michel’s on May 1, 2015.

I think we were so connected because she taught me how important having courage in hope is and I will never forget that.           

- By Jared Kunz