Charlotte was the kindest person you would have ever met. She was loving and gentle, sweet yet stern, and a practical joker. She loved to play pranks and would get everyone to participate. She could light up the whole room with her warm smile, though she hated having her picture taken. People were drawn to Charlotte—and who could blame them? It was exciting and fun to be around her.

 Charlotte was also my grandmother, born in a time that was less accepting of those who are different; a time when women were meant to be caregivers and mothers, instead of working women who supported their families. When my father was only 4-years-old, she learned to do both.

My grandmother became a widow at 29 when her husband tragically passed away, leaving her with two young boys under the age of 10. She had to quickly learn to be a mother and a father and to raise her boys to become kind and intelligent young men. She did this with flying colors. Teaching her boys to care for others was something that came natural to her, and they both became softies when it comes to the furry faces of animals. Charlotte taught her children to stand up for themselves and strive for their goals, which is something that she applied to her own life as she worked as a sole provider for her family.

Charlotte used her talents to become an art teacher. When art was not seen as an important part of a child's education, she broke through boundaries with her progressive thinking and helped others realize their potential. She was always ahead of her time and looked to bring joy into the world. Charlotte passed on all her creative skills to her grandchildren, and some became comic cartoonists and painters. As an avid animal lover, my grandmother rescued animals that came across her doorstep, including cats, dogs, squirrels and birds. She sent me a card once that described the spider that lived in her windowsill, worried that he would not have enough food trapped between the window and the screen.

We lost our sweet grandmother more than 20 years ago when I was a senior in high school. I think of her everyday and strive to be as kind, caring and accepting as she was in her life. She taught me so much in the few years that I had with her. Even though she has been gone for so long, I remember her vividly as if I saw her just yesterday.

Because of her impact on my life, I choose to accept people no matter what their differences are, and to use my voice and knowledge to influence those around me to do the same. I hope to have inherited all of her best traits and to one day pass them on to my children, so as to always keep her memory alive - just as my father and uncle have done in her absence. In these trying times, we need to remember what those before us preached, which is that all creatures are worthy of love and compassion. We are all here to support each other and to help this planet grow. To accomplish this, we need to be accepting and kind, regardless of our differences.