My first long distance trip was to go and see my father's mother Telitha Gulley.
Prior to this trip, I had not seen my grandmother since 1995. My grandmother at this point of her life had both of her legs cut off due to her battle with diabetes. The year was 1998.
It was on this trip that she gave me a backpack. Inside this backpack was $10,000, to be used for my tuition and books.
She wanted me to go to college, because she had dropped out of school due to excessive partying.
She really wanted me to go because she felt that I was her last hope of receiving a college graduate in the family due to the fact that neither of her children had chosen not to attend.
Even though I vowed to her that I would eventually go to school, at that point my life, I had no plans of going to school because I was in the military and I wanted to sew my wild oats.
Unfortunately, she lost her battle with diabetes a year later 1999. By this time, I had spent half of the money on wild escapes and gifts for the young women in my life.
She really wanted me to go because she felt that I was her last hope of receiving a college graduate in the family due to the fact that neither of her children had chosen not to attend.
Even though I vowed to her that I would eventually go to school, at that point my life, I had no plans of going to school because I was in the military and I wanted to sew my wild oats.
Unfortunately, she lost her battle with diabetes a year later 1999. By this time, I had spent half of the money on wild escapes and gifts for the young women in my life.
I felt guilty, so I saved the other half of the money for college.
In the fall of 2001, I happily became enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas with the backpack that was given to me by her.
Each and every morning, I would get up and speak to that bag and say, " Okay grandma, it's time to go to class!"
Over time the backpack had lost one of its straps.
Despite its ugly appearance I had managed to still make the daily journey to class with it.
It was not until my last year of college that I had finally decided to retire the backpack that I called "grandma" because the school lunch ladies felt bad for me and they chipped in to buy me a new and expensive Jansport backpack.
On December 16, 2006, I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Central Arkansas and I finally completed my grandmother's wish for me to become a college graduate.
I just wish that she would have been alive to have seen me do it.
The moral of the story is this:
Always remember that no matter how long that it takes you to do it, it is never too late to become educated. Knowledge is power. Never forget this.
In the fall of 2001, I happily became enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas with the backpack that was given to me by her.
Each and every morning, I would get up and speak to that bag and say, " Okay grandma, it's time to go to class!"
Over time the backpack had lost one of its straps.
Despite its ugly appearance I had managed to still make the daily journey to class with it.
It was not until my last year of college that I had finally decided to retire the backpack that I called "grandma" because the school lunch ladies felt bad for me and they chipped in to buy me a new and expensive Jansport backpack.
On December 16, 2006, I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Central Arkansas and I finally completed my grandmother's wish for me to become a college graduate.
I just wish that she would have been alive to have seen me do it.
The moral of the story is this:
Always remember that no matter how long that it takes you to do it, it is never too late to become educated. Knowledge is power. Never forget this.
Thank you for sharing this story
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