Life story

I was a little worried writing about my grandfather because I thought it would seem like I was looking for sympathy, but I figured it was a good topic to write about because it had the largest effect on me. My goal became to write an essay that did not focus on the death or loss but on the change and growth that took place.

Being active is something that has always been important to me, and I learned this from growing up with and observing an expert. My grandfather was more active and involved than anyone I have ever known. He had an endless energy for life, and love for my brother and me, and I have tried to be the kind of person that he was. The phrase on his headstone reads: “A joyous and boundless energy.”

My grandfather was a highly respected kindergarten teacher for twenty years. In addition to working with children as a professional, he was always involved in my elementary school years after retirement, as a class grandfather or President of the PTO. In the...