“You have such a nice color to you!” My grandma said as I came into her house and hugged her. My family and I were in the very cool air of my grandparents house in the middle of July. Their dog Cora comes running to the door and jumps on my legs to say hi. We sit down at the kitchen table and my grandma pulls out the vanilla ice cream, my favorite cookies, and pours me a glass of milk. I ate the ice cream, a couple cookies, and drank my milk while my parents and grandparents talk about things that only old people would understand.  After I ate everything my grandma says, “Do you want more??”

“No no she’s had enough.” My dad says, although I always wanted some more. My grandma was short, had blue eyes, short gray hair, wore the cutest outfits, and had the strongest norwegian accent. The amazing thing about my grandma was she was caring, friendly, and happy.

My grandma was always happy. Whenever we came to visit her she always had a smile on her face. Even when you made a phone call to her you could just tell that she was smiling. My grandma being so happy taught me to always look at the positive things even when something didn’t go my way. I think that is something I got from her because I am always happy too. Also, she was always laughing. When it was Christmas Eve and my family was all together, we were opening presents and she would always start laughing for no reason even when she never had anything to drink! She was always in high spirits and I loved that about her because I could always count on her for a good laugh.

Another thing that amazed me about my grandma is that she cared about everyone. My grandma always wanted the best for everyone. If someone in my family would be hurt or sick she would say “O snucker crooken” and that was her way of saying like feel better soon. She worked as a nurse in the hospital so it was like second nature for her to care for her family just like she cared for her patients. She taught me how to live with a lot of care for others through her actions. She was always kind to others and everyone had a lot of respect for her. I want to live my life full of care for others just like my grandma did.

Lastly, my grandma was a very friendly person. I looked up to her for this because I am very shy. My grandma could have a conversation with anyone, and I thought that was a very important skill to have in life. I wish I had more time to come out of my shell and become closer with my grandma, but unfortunately she passed before I had the chance. I was always too shy to go up and talk to her about things I wanted to but now I wish I had because she is no longer here for me to have conversations with.

It’s been almost a year without my grandma here but not one day has gone by where she hasn’t crossed my mind. I was lucky to get to know my grandma as much as I did and I realized how great of a role model she is for me. I still remember her voice and her laugh and I will never forget it. I always wished that my mom and dad named me after her because I love her name. Arna will always be my hero and forever stay in my heart.