The Woman Who Most Inspired Me

In everyone’s life there are people who inspire you to be more. I can say that in my life, this is certainly the case. The first of these people I would like to tell you about is my grandmother. I would never have grown up to be the woman I am today without her.

Gale with her grandmother

My grandmother ran an old folks home. When her mother, my great grandmother, underwent a cataract operation that went horribly wrong, leaving her blind, my grandmother said, ‘Well, if I have to take care of her, why not a bunch more?’ So she had her home licensed as an old folks home and took care of twelve elderly people. She told my mother that she needed my help in entertaining these people. I adored my school holidays with her.

My grandmother taught me so many things to help me cope with life. When I was ten years old, she took me aside and said that when I grew up, I didn’t have to do just one thing in life, that I could do as many things in life as I chose to.

She drew big a circle and placed an X on the outside of it, and in the centre she placed a big dot. She explained to me that I was the X and the dot was what I wanted to do. That most people decide what it is they want to do and then they proceed in a spiral manner to get to it.

She told me, ‘Here you are, and here is what you want to do’. Then she drew a straight line to the dot and told me to head directly towards it.

She said: ‘And then, when you are no longer satisfied and become bored with what you are doing, then take all of that knowledge and go do something else that stimulates you. Your responsibility in life is to learn as much as you can, implement it to the fullest and to love what you are doing. And to use your God-given talents to their fullest advantage.’

My grandmother never talked down to me and always made me feel like I was old enough to understand any conversation. I guess you could say she made me feel like a person and not a child. Strangely enough, I did understand her, and everything she told me seemed to make perfect sense. Now, years later, I can say confidently, my grandmother spoke to my soul.

These conversations were our little secret and these secrets made me feel special, grown up. We both knew that my parents would not like these ideas. But I listened, observed and learned.

What a woman. If it wasn’t enough that she opened up her own nursing home and learned to drive at age 65, she would pack up four of her old people at a time in her mini and take them away for trips. She was so cool. She ran her home until she was eighty-five; only by this time all of her old folks were younger than she was!

She also taught me the basics of organisation and how to get people to co-operate and help achieve an objective. All of the people who lived with her had their jobs to do and the running of the home depended on each person’s participation, mine included. She made everyone feel valued and gave them a sense of a purpose in life – me included.

I have used these organisational skills throughout my whole adult life, personally and professionally. Whenever almost anyone, child or adult, comes to join us, be it for dinner or to work on any project I am doing, I always enlist their help. You see my grandmother taught me I am more with their help than without it, and that everyone wants to feel a part of something grand.

I can think of no better tribute to this wonderful woman than to be grateful for all of the love, knowledge and wisdom she bestowed upon me, to live everyday according to her advice and to ensure I share her story with others.

Have you had someone shape your life like this? I’d love to hear about it.