Throughout my life I have had many people to teach me different things. All together, these people have taught me how to be myself. They have given me traits such as respect, humility, mercy, loyalty and kindness. I would like to take a few moments to thank these people for their time and influence, because without them I would be totally different.
My parents are one of the biggest influences I'll ever have. If I had to select only two people that have helped me find myself, it would be them.
My mother is absolutely amazing. She has grace and compassion, things I have adopted by way of respect for her. I want to be like her and I hope to adopt her beautiful personality as I grow. She has taught me how to keep the peace, how to set an example and how to worship God. I watch her everyday as she puts others before herself, especially her family. I witness her witness as she leads people in my community. I'm exposed to her gentleness in dealing with everyone, patience is definitely hard to come by! If I ever have a problem, I know I can trust her with it. She is loyal to me always, and not many people are. She gives me the best advice because she knows me best. Specifically dealing with Diabetes, my mother at first took care of me completely. She taught me later on how to be responsible with it so that I can take care of myself. I am so grateful for her and all she does for me. If it weren't for her and some other people, I wouldn't be alive today.
I owe my work ethic, respectfulness and blunt honesty to my father. He has instilled in me these things by his example, and I will be forever grateful. He and my Mother have taught me to work hard for everything, and it has paid off so far. He has always done whatever he had to in order to provide for his family. He has taught me to respect others, even if I don't believe they deserve it. He has always spoken honestly, rather than simply telling people what they want to hear. Because of that example, I speak the same way and I hate being lied to. I am also less graceful than my mother with my words sometimes. She has a way of always saying something kindly, and I have adopted Dad's straight-to-the-point style of speaking. I adore my father, and I'm so blessed to have him in my life.
Another person that deserves credit for who I am (and who I want to be) is my little sister. I would do anything for her, just to make her happy. God has blessed me with her in more ways than I can even retell here. She has given me a forever friendship that many people never have the privilege to experience. She saves my life daily, by supporting, encouraging and sometimes correcting me. She has taught me to always be brave, especially when you're in trouble. She's taught me compassion and loyalty because of how she deals with me. I know that I can always count on her to have my back and that alone is a blessing. I can't imagine my life without her, and I thank God that she was in His plan for me.
My best friends have influenced my personality as well. They have taught me how to be loyal to people outside of family, how to be a tolerent Christian and how to share my witness. I don't have many people that I can trust, so having loyal friends is a blessing. It has made me want to be loyal so that I never hurt people the way I've been hurt. The people that always have my back are very precious to me, and I would never want to hurt them. They have helped me to have tolerance for the people around me, especially Emily and my little sister, Autumn. When I know that there are people that agree with me on things, it somehow makes it easier to ignore the people who challenge me (especially about my faith). These few people have also been a great witness to me, which in turn helps me to be a better witness. My best friend has taught me about forgiveness, both towards others and towards myself. He has saved me in more ways than one. I imagine my life would be very different without him.
I have had teachers and coaches that have shown me responsibility, creativity, and other things. A certain mentor once told me something I repeat often for comfort: "Give it up (to God), and let it go." That has gotten me through many stressful times. One of my mentors brought out the actor in me and showed me how much I loved performing. My public speaking teacher let me realize how much I enjoy speaking to crowds, which in a way has helped me to be myself more. I once had a supervisor that taught me how to be kind and gentle, even when people do not deserve it.
All of these people have shaped my world, my life and my personality. They have taught me about myself and the person I want to be. They have truly been a blessing to me, and I am thankful for every one of them.
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