Dear Grandpa,
Remembering your
birthday this past Thursday was not easy, but I feel it is something that is
important to reflect on. It has been about 30 years since you have passed. It
has been my dream to meet you and get to know you. My Dad and I share such a
special relationship, one that is built on trust and spiritual values. I could
not be more grateful for the incredible impact that you had on his life; for
the way you were able to mold him into becoming a respectable and ethical man.
He
constantly talks about the great impact you’ve had on him. Raising my father on
a farm in a 3rd world country could not have been easy. There is so
much that goes into raising children as well as running a farm properly. The
fact that you did both fairly well is amazing to me. You did that and much
more, including running as mayor in a small town in the country of Haiti.
The
man that you were, inspired my dad in being the man he is today. I cannot help
but get emotional when talking about my dad. When he finally left Haiti to come
to America for a better life, both you and grandma passed away. He was just
getting settled in America and was not able to make it back for your funerals.
Your deaths have affected him so much; he loved you and was sad he couldn’t be
there for you. Regardless of this unfortunate event, he did not let this hold
him back in life. At the age of 22 he was in a foreign country, not knowing the
language and in search of a job. He was alone but driven to make the most of
his life.
My dad is now a
spiritual man, with a very good job, an accomplished wife and two girls.
Grandpa, because of your example, he was able to accomplish so much. I’m so
grateful for the impact you had on my Dad’s life and I know you would be really
proud of him.
Rebekah, thanks for this. This is creative and well-written. I think you have a really good idea for a college essay. The Common Application always has a question about someone who impacted you. I, personally, like the idea of writing about someone you haven't met.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think you could do a lot more with this idea. Two things I recommend if you choose to use this framework in the future. First, try to pick an appropriate voice. At times, you feel like you are trying to be very formal in this letter. I wonder if you might write a little more informally - but still technically correct - if you were writing to your grandfather. Second, you might try to include some more specific examples of stories that you have heard. I know that these are often very personal and you might not want to share in this forum. I get that. However, in a college essay, you might benefit by revealing a bit more.
This is definitely a really strong start of something pretty profound.