There's no doubt that your grandmother holds a special place in your heart. Her gentleness, kindness, and never-ending love for you are what makes you love her so much. My 82-year-old grandma (yes, she's in her 80s!) is my most favorite person ever.

1. She's a mother, wife, teacher and so much more

A retired teacher, mother of 4, and grandmother of 10 children, my grandma has taught me everything there is about life. She showed me how she overcame the struggles that were presented to her and how she became the head of her house. Working a tiring job, taking care of her four children and husband, she showed me that there is nothing a woman cannot do! Men may be seen as the breadwinners of the household, but boy my grandma completely erased that concept! Her strength and faith in Jesus kept her going. She believed strongly in her faith that God would take care of her, and He did!

2. She faced diabetes and breast cancer

My grandma was diagnosed with diabetes in her 40s but that didn't stop her! Sure she had to change her lifestyle to adopt the new change, but she kept going and didn't give up. Though she still faces the effects of diabetes every day, she knows that she is tough enough to battle anything that comes her way. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 78 years old and many of us feared the chemotherapy would be too much for her. However, she beat all odds and conquered cancer. Being 82 is not easy, but she makes it look effortless.

3. She's a woman in the ministry

She always had a heart for helping others. As a pastor's wife, my grandma would always go around her village and help other women in whatever way she could. She made sure that everyone around her was happy and healthy. By being a pastor's wife, she vowed to help strengthen and encourage other women. To me, that's one of the main reasons why I look up to my grandma. Her dedication to helping women in her community inspired me to encourage the women around me in my community.

4. She's passionate about education

It was rare for a married woman in her late 20's to get higher education in India. I mean for many people back then, pursuing higher education was only for men. My grandma did the unthinkable. She got her bachelor's degree, master's degree and became a teacher. She loved education so much that she made it her profession. She enjoyed teaching others and sharing her knowledge with her students. Her passion for learning encourages me to get my degree here at Rutgers University and beat all odds. If my grandma did it, why can't I?

5. She is emotionally strong

Most people get to see their grandparents every day, if not at least a couple times a month. Well, my grandparents live in India which is about 8000 miles away. The last time I saw my grandma was in 2010 so it's definitely been a while! Though it's been years, I still have vivid memories of them. All her kids are in different parts of the world so she really doesn't have any immediate family members near her except for my grandfather, but that doesn't stop her from living life. She knows that long distance is hard and she knows how hard it is to be so far away from her children.

For some reason, she never shows her emotions to any of her children. Maybe it's because she doesn't want them to be sad or think that they need to rush home to be with her. I know that only strong women can hide their emotions in front of their family and my grandma is definitely one of them. While I love both my grandparents, there's a special place in my heart for my 82-year old grandma. She is just incredibly strong.