In the story of Mulan we learned that to be a man you must be swift as a roaring river, with all

the force of a great typhoon, with all the strength of a raging fire, and mysterious as the dark side of the

moon. Though to be a grand grandparent you must be always willing to listening to your grandchildren,

be hard working, be accepting of others, and you must always be willing to support your family. My

grandmother (Mema) represents all of these qualities which makes her the grandest grandparent of

them all.

A grandparent must always be willing to listen to their grandchild so they can not only give

support to their grandchildren but also advice to help them through their problem. Much like how

Grandmother Willow listened and was able to give advice to Pocahontas when she felt lost and alone.

My grandmother is like this with me all the time, whenever I am feeling overwhelmed physically or

mentally I call her up in my darkest time and she is always there to help me and offer her words of

wisdom. When she listens to all my problems I feel not only relived because I can tell someone about all

the stress in my life, but I also feel hope because I know that she will offer me wisdom that will get me

through my dilemma.

Not only is a grand grandparent able to listen to their grandchildren and offer them advice, they

are also hard working at everything they do. When I think of someone who is hardworking it reminds

me of a quote from “The Princess and the Frog” “wishing on a star can only get you half way there you

need to work hard to make your dreams come true,” and my grandmother is the perfect example of this

in everything she does. When my grandfather passed away my grandmother lost all the income for her

family and she still had two children to raise so she knew that in order to give her family the life they

deserved that she would need to work her tail off. So she obtained jobs from anywhere she could find

them she worked at a local synagogue, the eye doctors, and at our local grocery store. Even though she

knew every day it was hard work it all paid off in the end because now she is retired and able to enjoy

life with all of her children and grandchildren.

Third is that no matter what the grandest grandparent must be accepting of their grandchild no

matter what. Kala from Tarzan perfectly portrays this trait when she “adopts” Tarzan as a baby that even

though he looks completely different from her she sees the good inside of him and loves him anyway.

My grandmother is a perfect example of this, because my sisters and I are adopted. Being adopted and

part of a family can sometimes be difficult because some view you as though you are not really related.

However, my grandmother has loved all of us as much as she loves my brother. This is a wonderful trait

of hers because it truly breaks down all barriers and allows all of us to feel like one big happy family.

The last trait a grand grandparent must show is that they are willing to help their grandchildren

no matter what. Much like how in the story of Cinderella when she thought all hope was lost her fairy

godmother came to save her a grandparent is like a fairy godmother you have on you 24/7. My

grandmother is always giving to others like a fairy godmother. When we were building our house she

gave us a home to sleep in, she given up time at work to help watch my siblings and I, and she gives me

encouragement when I want to give up or when I am nervous for a performance. When I am at my

darkest place all I have to do is hear her say “Go Jordan” and I feel as though nothing can go wrong.

To be a grand grandparent you must be willing to listen to your grandchildren, be hardworking

in everything you do, be accepting of everyone, and be able to give back to others. When someone has

all of these traits not only are they the grandest grandparent, they are something much more special a

best friend. Which is why my Mema is not only the grandest grandparent she is also my best friend who

I will love always.