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Every little kid loves going on a getaway to their grandparents’ house. Grandparents are fun. They let you eat candy, they take you to the park, and they let you stay up past your bedtime. Going to my grandparents’ house wasn’t relaxing or freeing, but it taught me valuable knowledge that I still use to this day. My grandma taught me how to read, write, and interact with other kids. I was always wanting to watch a baby or be the mom when we played house. I was always doing what was right and it has stuck with me through my school years.
From even before I could remember, I would go to my grandparents’ house during the day while my mom worked her office job in St. Louis. My grandma is the sweetest woman you could imagine. She not only took care of me and my five cousins every day, she also taught us like we were in school. Every day, we had a routine. In the morning, we would garden, followed by lunch and “table time”, where we would get our workbooks out and work on the respective subject for the day.
While the youngest cousins were napping, the oldest cousins would be in the basement learning all kinds of things: reading, writing, math and even horticulture. One day, I remember working on a math worksheet. I was flying through this book my grandma was teaching. I pointed out a big number 4 that was in the corner of the worksheet. I was excited because I realized I was 4 and those numbers matched. I told my grandma, and she said, “No, Payton, that means 4th grade.” Not only was I doing 4th grade math before kindergarten, but I would also read books and write sentences. Looking back, I can’t thank my grandma enough for kickstarting my love for school and drive for success.
For the first few hours, while I was waiting for my cousins to arrive, I’d spend some one-on-one time with my grandma. She had an elaborate and bountiful garden. There was a gazebo in the middle from which paths of mulch branched out throughout the backyard. There were multiple gardens in between these paths, and each was named after one of the grandkids. When I would have free time with my grandma, we would plant flowers and other plants in my section of the garden. I loved my garden because I had a cherry blossom tree, a hosta taller than me, multi-colored hydrangeas, a bird bath, and a wooden swing. We weren’t just playing in the dirt. We were planting plants, learning how to compost, and working together to make something beautiful.
Us kids were full of imagination. When we were outside, we were anything from power rangers to a family of nomads making “dinner” out of walnuts, plants, and dirt. We picked mulberries and grandma taught us how to make our own jam by hand. When we would play inside, there were tons of toys, but probably not the kind anyone would find interesting besides us grandchildren. Among our favorite toys were cottage cheese cups. My grandma went through so many tubs of cottage cheese, and she started to save the plastic containers it came in. Eventually, we had a massive collection. We would build the most amazing forts, stacked way above our heads. We sectioned the playroom into rooms, with the cottage cheese cups acting as the walls, and folded blankets into little cots. We played house all day every day. I would go up to the chalkboard and write everyone’s imaginary names and ask them how old they wanted to be today. I held the title for the “cool” cousin, the one everyone would look up to. I was always a leader, even if it meant being the mom while playing house.
Being the oldest granddaughter did something to alter my sense of self. I was also an only child back at my house, so maybe that had something to do with it, too. The other cousins always looked up to me and expected me to set an example for everyone else, and I did just that. I was always looked at as the responsible grandchild and was trusted to help cook or watch over my little cousins while we were playing on our playground in the backyard. Although over a decade has gone by, I am still the one everyone looks up to. The determination to succeed and fear of failure has never left my mind.
Having such a great role model set the perfect example for who I wanted to become. Today, I use all the skills my grandma taught me from caring for nature to taking on a leadership role with ease. The routine she set for us grandkids was beneficial. I have been bouncing between my mom and dad’s houses ever since I was little, so the structure she provided made me feel secure. I am extremely organized and love to have a routine. I have my weekly planner where I write out all my events for the week and what homework is due. My grandma has taught me so many valuable life lessons that I am so privileged to have.
The transitions from middle to high school and now high school to college have been tough, but I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I hadn’t had been raised the way I was. I have always been a “Type A” person. I get good grades, do the right thing, tell the truth, etc. When I look into my future, part of me sees myself following that pin straight arrow: I will graduate college, get a job, get married, have kids, retire, die. The other part of me wants to learn how to be a leader but still take risks. I don’t want to live a life everyone else has already lived, I want to make a difference and experience all that I can. I will forever be grateful for having an amazing support system and mentors who always wanted to see me succeed. I don’t know where I would be and who I would be if it weren’t for those days at my grandma’s house.
