What It Takes to Change Me

Standing there on the porch looking around, all I see is fields of green and some old corrals that desperately need repair. This is the place that I'm always happy, no matter what. It doesn't matter if I'm working or playing; I'm happy here. GG--she's what makes this such a unique place. She has red-brown hair, deep blue eyes, and the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. She lives in Wilder Idaho, and we live in Nyssa, Oregon. I don't get to come here much.

When we come here, we come in the morning and work through the whole day. GG always feeds us at lunch and even, sometimes, dinner. We go to Wilder and work on her garden for her, and we pull the puncture vines that are taking over her driveway, lawn, and garden. She always has the right drinks for the occasion. She will even make up a special drink if you don't absolutely love what she has. My family couldn't go over during the week, because we all have jobs or school that we have to be at for most of the day. So, during the week, she waters, and sometimes weeds, her own garden. She never really has had a solid pet, most of them are strays that she takes in and helps, and then they run off again.

Life was perfect; everything was alive and thriving. Then came the dark day when everything died. GG had to go to the hospital because she was throwing up blood due to a bleeding ulcer; and everything went down hill from there. Once she got out of the hospital something else would happen and she would have to go right back in. This little charade went on until the days that she didn't come out. She had to stay at the hospital in Ontario, and Dr. X was her doctor. He decided that Grandma wasn't important. When we had finally gotten her out of there and transferred her to another hospital, she had lost a lot of weight--she didn't have that much to start with. She had a bedsore on her entire back.

The doctors there tried their hardest to bring her back to what she was when she first went into Ontario. Grandma was so far gone that there wasn't much that they could do. I knew that there was something wrong when my parents let me stay in Weiser with my sister, instead of going to school. Later that day, my sister and I went to see Grandma; she looked so tired and worn out. My mom was already there. I should have read the signs, but I didn't. I kept talking to Grandma about what we were going to do when she got out of the hospital. We made plans to go for walks, do a puzzle or two, and go see a movie together; just the two of us.

After our conversation, Mel told me that we were going to Boondocks. I was so excited; I had never been there. We left around seven or eight that night and went to Boondocks. I went on the bumper cars twice, and I went golfing. I even played a few of the games that were inside. I was having the time of my life. After Boondocks, we went out for pizza--Mel told me that she didn't want to cook. I stayed the night at Mel's house. Her husband decided to come home, so I had to sleep in Shannon's room.

When I awoke Mel was sitting in her kitchen staring out the window; the phone was in her hand and tears in her eyes. A part of me knew why, although the ignorance in me made me ask her what was wrong.

"Great-Grandma-Everett died last night--mom stayed with her the whole night--GG died in her sleep,"

Was Mel's answer. I didn't know what to think. How could she be gone? She has always been there for me. It took me awhile to decide what I was going to do; matter-of-fact, it took me well after her funeral. I finally decided to live for her, what she did, how she treated people; I decided to live through her. I helped people, I worked without question, and I even volunteered to help in various areas.

GG's house was empty; there was no one living there and a lot of things started to fall apart. My Grandpa Shaner was the only person that was available, so we moved him into GG's old house. He can't get around very easily, so I go over there and help him out whenever I get a chance. My family and I tried to get the garden to grow again, but it died with Grandma.

I have lived my life helping others and trying to do what Grandma would do. I used to wonder if I was making her proud. Then one day, after I had recently had my surgery, I had a dream. I was in a room with nothing but white--pure bright white. A bench appeared that was just like the one that Grandma always used to sit on at her house. Then Grandma walked into the room looking as radiant as ever. She sat on the bench and patted it as a motion for me to come sit by her. Slowly, I walked over to her and sat happily upon the bench.

"I have a promise to keep with you,"

Is what she told me, and I jumped up and grabbed her hand, and we went for a walk. We did a few puzzles; we also went on a carousel ride, then we returned to the white room and sat on the bench again.

"I have a surprise for you!"

She exclaimed. Then a movie flickered up I didn't want the movie part to come--it was the last part of the promise that we hadn't done. Tears started to roll down my face, but I sucked it up and watched the movie. To my surprise it wasn't a "drama" or a "horror" film--it was a film of Grandma and me! All the good times, and the times when I got hurt by the sticker weeds and she came to my rescue. It went through our lives together. When it came close to the end of the movie, I began to notice Grandma was almost glowing. She told me she glowing with pride for me and what I had done, and how I have changed. At the end of the movie there was a series of extremely funny things that had happened to us. We both began to laugh and laugh; we just kept laughing together until she said it was time for me to go.

"You have to go now, but I will be here whenever you need me. I will be here all-the-while you live through me."

With that said, she began to fade away, and so did I. I woke up and my whole family was staring at me. Evidently, I had been laughing in my sleep. My Great-Grandma-Everett has changed me forever.