My grandmother is, quite literally, my rock. When times are rough, she is always there to anchor me. My grandma's constant love and grace (at times) overwhelms me. She has shown me how to be strong in the face of challenge but also the true meaning of love.

Through the years, my grandmother has taught me many things, from life lessons to family recipes. Because my grandmother (also known as my abuela) is so special to me, I would like to share some lessons she has taught me.

1. You are worth the world.

A hard thing to wrap my mind around, but my grandmother always made sure I knew my worth. No matter what I was complaining about, my grandmother made sure I knew that I was valued and important. Thinking back on it, this is one of the most important lessons of my young adult life. Without this key piece of information I would never have been able to grow. Due to my grandma's constant words of reassurance, I now have love for myself.

2. Be positive.

My grandmother always taught me to understand that the larger part of your pain and unhappiness is not determined by your predicament, but by your attitude. Positivity has the ability to make your situation better, while being negative will do nothing but bring your spirits down more. Although you may feel like shit, smiling in someone's face will undoubtedly make the situation better.

3. You are stronger than you believe.

Strength does not necessarily refer to your physical ability. Often your mental strength is far more important. My grandmother faced a fair amount of struggles in her life; from learning to speak english to living in poverty, yet she always came out on top.

4. Respect everyone.

I was always told that you should treat everyone with respect; no matter where a person comes from, what class they are, or how much money they have. This is a hard lesson for anyone to fully grasp, but here's why you should always show respect- respect is not a sign of weakness.

5. Be generous.

Whether it be giving to others or helping someone through a tough time, you should always give no matter how little you have. Someone may be doing worse then you and an act of generosity can do wonders for them.

I hope to one day be the person my grandmother is; a loving, beautiful soul. I cannot begin to thank this woman for everything she has sacraficed for me, I love you with my entire heart.

¡Te amo a la luna y la parte posterior!