Lessons I Learned From My Grandfather: the Person I Admire

As time passed by, there have been several people who have influenced various aspects of my life, based on their personal characteristics, accomplishments, and values. Movie stars and singers, who make a lot of money and are famous, are usually the ones who I admired, however, I do not deeply know the person or their personality. I found that there are various people I can call my role model, whether they are someone I know personally or someone I see from afar. The people I chose to make my role models had a colossal impact on me.

Of all the people I have encountered in my life, there is a special one that really stands out: my grandfather. He is the only person who entered my life and made me look at things differently. Every day and at every step of my life he has guided me perfectly by giving examples from his past. The things that I admire the most and have tried to apply to my own life are his strong work ethic, unwavering honesty, and optimism in life.

One reason I admire my grandfather is because of all of his accomplishments and principles of work. While facing a painful tragedy as a young child, my grandfather maintained his focus after the death of both parents. Being the oldest one of seven children in the family, he started working at an early age on a small farm, so he would serve daily food to his siblings.

Living through thick and thin, he did not lose faith in his own abilities and completed his education as an agricultural scientist. Growing up in a small country where the field of enology was virtually non-existent, my grandfather was the first person in the homeland to immerse himself in viticulture. Driven by the tenacity, his passion for wine whisked him around the globe which helped him to become an exceptional specialist. He serves me as an example of a hard- working and committed person who passed through many obstacles without the presence of the lovely ones and achieved his goals. The biggest lesson that I learned from him is that building upon the principles of hard work and pursuit of excellence on the silent dream would make wishes come true one day.

Another reason I admire my grandfather is because of his moral values. He gave so much to the community so that when I went anywhere with him, the adults and children adored and admired him. Spending every single day with him, watching people drop what they were doing just to give a respectful handshake or warm embrace, made me realize how much I wanted to be just like him. My grandfather taught me how to give respect and how to earn it for myself. He also told me to be an honest, gentle and compassionate person, so that I would take each step with pride and dignity. Even though he might not have known it, through his actions he opened up a whole new world to my untrained eyes. Being with him was like experiencing life to the fullest and perfecting my good morals and values. After seeing the way he pursued life, it gave me a whole new grasp on mine.

Finally, he is the most admirable person for me because of the positiveness he spread in our family. Dealing with difficult problems since his childhood, he never lost his hope and even more, he strived harder to become successful. Whenever I asked him if he wished to live differently, he answered me with a brave smile, “Problems are really part of what makes life worth living. They challenge us and give us the opportunity to do things we have never done before, to learn things we never knew before. They give us the chance to surprise and explore ourselves in a new way.” Being optimistic helped him to overcome challenges and see the positive side of every problem. Anyone can learn to be optimistic — the trick is to find purpose in work and life. “That was the key to life,” he said. I learned from him that the combination of optimism and realistic thinking can help me navigate through life even in critical situations. My grandfather was the man that I modeled my life after since I understood “life” itself.

When my grandfather passed away, I was devastated, but I also realized his influence was something that I would carry with me for the rest of my life. He has taught me so much about working hard and enjoying life. In this way, I know that his spirit will always be a part of me no matter where I am. I know I will face many new challenges in the future, but I also know that if I apply the lessons from my grandfather, I will be able to overcome any obstacle. Whenever things get really tough, I will just repeat his words, “You build your life on failures, try again and do better next time.” He proved to me that everything is possible only if I work hard. Even when I have what seems like the worst experience and things are falling apart, everything will always get better over time. My grandfather is a real hero who taught me the most important lessons in life.