Welcome to my May edition of Open Letters to Those That Matter. This month, I will be writing my column to a group of people that helped to shape my life from the start: my grandparents. From an early age, my grandparents have had a essential position in helping me become who I am today.

Dear Grandparents,

For years, you all have had my back, and there is nothing I could ever do to repay you for that. Having my back through the divorce, the constant moving, and the transition into high school helped keep me sane in a time when the best of kids would have gone crazy.

There are so many memories that I can look back on and smile about from crazy adventures on the trails with Omama, to the trip to Ireland during the first two weeks of freshman year with grammy and grandpa. These situations helped to form my need for adventure, my ability to not get lost in unknown territory [Ireland], and the strength to know that even in the worst of situations there is a silver lining.

The adventures we have had are mind blowing. When I was little, Omama would take us on walks through the trails near her house, and the world would become something new. When I was younger the bridge over the Mousam River became a thousand feet in the air. We could spend all day running the trails and creating a world that had no problems. These trail walks not only helped to make my imagination grow, but they helped my navigation skills because those trails weren’t marked with clear signs. The trees were painted with different colored shapes that you taught me how to use to navigate our way home. These few skills will and have helped to create the strong and independent person that I am today.

Traveling and viewing different sides of the world is something that I have always wanted and enjoyed doing. When you brought me to Ireland early in my freshman year, while this trip wasn’t in the perfect time because I was just starting high school, it helped me immensely. Before that trip I hadn’t really figured out what I wanted to do in my life, but after going to Ireland and seeing the world in new eyes, as well as flying a long distance, I knew I wanted to become a traveler. Later that year, it became even stronger, and my love of flying grew, and I realized that I wanted to become a pilot.

I always knew that any time I would call to any of you, it would end with my problem solved, my mood was happy, and some form of lecture on my life choices. These calls are something I can look back on and enjoy and learn from. Kids don’t always understand that lectures can be helpful because at least to me, I love to be right even when I’m wrong.

Thank you for having my back all throughout high school. It hasn’t always been the best times in my life, but if I ever said that to you, it would be compared to how back in your childhood life was a lot harder due to wars, having no cell phones, or any form of technology. When that was said, I may not have believed it, but when I look back today, you were right. My life has not been that hard, but when it was hard I always could trust that someone had my back.

I love you all so much, and I can’t thank you enough for your lessons, influence, and time you spent on my life. I will be forever in debt to all of you.

Love,

Alex

For my readers who made it through my second to last column in this series, thank you. I hope this column gives you a chance to think about those who have had a positive influence on your life, and that you take the time to reach out to these people and say thank you. A simple call, text, or thank you can make someone’s day brighter.