The most influential person in my life

Some give credit to a parent, a teacher, or a mentor. I believe the most influential person in my life was my Gramma.

I loved my gramma. She was one of the most interesting people I have ever known. She was smart, articulate, and quick witted. She loved her music, could play guitar, piano and a bit of violin that I know of it. She could cook. She loved to laugh, but hated being teased. To me, she knew everyone and never forgot anything.

I spent a lot of time with Gramma. When my parents worked, I would stay with her. Most of our time was spent reading, playing cards and cooking. She taught me all nine planets of the solar system before I started school. Funny enough, she never taught me how to play guitar.

Gramma loved education. Her dictionary was well used and always close by.  I remember seeing two grad pictures of her two kids that finished high school. At six years old, I remember talking to Gramma about education. Somehow a thought was planted that I would go to university one day. I would be the first in her family. It was never a question that I would do anything else. I think she may have planted it. There's no way I knew what university was at that age.

I never really knew my Gramma the way her kids knew her. I was the grandchild. She spoiled me.

She told me something when I was 14 that I have never told anyone until recently. She told me what she expected of me by the time I turned 40. I actually forgot about the conversation until one day I was talking to a friend about predictions and laws of attraction. Swoooooosh, that day with Gramma came back to me in a flash. She was bang on. Just another seed that was planted that I forgot even existed.

I'd rather not share the exact details, but I assure you she got it right

The day I graduated from university my dad took me aside and made me cry. He said Gramma would be very proud and that she was looking out for me. Two years earlier, Gramma died from a long bout of lung cancer.

Near the end of her life, I've been told that she asked one of her daughters to look out for me. Not sure if that was true, not sure why.

Every time I eat banana bread, see a guitar or hear someone playing piano, I think of her.