A Tribute to Serena Hathaway

Recently, I've been to several funerals. I actually just got back from a trip to West Virginia, where we said goodbye to the lady who saved my grandfather's life.

I went to the funeral home with the mindset that I wasn't going to cry. I didn't know Grandma Reni that well, so I had no reason to cry. Those who knew her had a reason to cry, but I didn't. That was until I heard the story of how she saved my grandpa's life.

When my grandpa was seven years old, his dad kicked him out of the house. Why? That's something that I wasn't told. But he was left to fend for himself at seven years old. Grandma Reni and her husband (who I never got the chance to meet) were friends with my grandpa's dad (Grandpa's dad's name was Ofie). When they heard that my grandpa had been kicked out, they took him in. They raised him as if he were their own, and even wanted to adopt him, but Ofie wouldn't let him. Ofie didn't want to lose a farm hand: yes, he still made my grandpa travel from West Virginia to Ohio in the summertime to work on his farm. She made my grandpa the man he is today. Who knows where he would be if she hadn't taken him in: I know for sure that I wouldn't exist.

My grandpa's three sister's, Barbara, Beverly, and Lois, spent the whole funeral making sure my grandpa was okay. Yes, it was their real mom who had died, but they put their emotions aside to make sure my grandpa was okay, to make sure my grandpa didn't need anything, and they clung to him the whole time. He's the oldest of the four, but the three ladies acted as if they were comforting the baby of the family: it was honestly a pretty amazing sight.

I'm very upset that I wasn't able to get to know this incredible lady who raised my wonderful grandfather and his three amazing sisters, but I am very thankful for everything she has done for my family. Rest in peace Grandma Reni: thank you for saving my grandpa's life.

Insecurities

A lot of people have insecurities that they don't like people pointing out. So I've went out and asked people what their biggest insecurities are. Here are some results of this poll.

Too fat: If you weigh less than 250 pounds, please do not complain that you are fat. I weigh roughly 275: you may consider me fat. But if you are 125 pounds and you have a little chub, so what? Just because you're a little bit chubby doesn't mean you're full blown fat. A lot of girls fat shame themselves for no reason at all. And if you feel that you're fat, do something about it. Eat a little better, get some exercise, and maybe then you'll feel a little bit better about yourself. But please, do not go overboard and become anorexic. Skinny is nice to look at, and being skinny feels nice, but there's a fine line between healthy skinny and unhealthy skinny. If you are fat: flaunt it. My cousin always says that she's "big and proud". But if you're like me and you don't like "flaunting" it, there are ways to hide it if losing weight isn't for you. I wear a lot of baggy clothing, or clothes with many layers of ruffles and such so my fat rolls are hidden. But whether you're skinny or "fat", you should feel happy in your body. 

No thigh gap: First off, I've never understood this whole thigh gap thing. Doctors have said that thigh gaps are unnatural, and that thigh gaps only happen to people who have wider hips. Thigh gaps aren't something that we can control: it's just the way our bodies have been built. So don't feel bad if you don't have a thigh gap, and you shouldn't feel bad if you have a thigh gap, either. We can't control the way our bodies are built, so embrace what you've been given. 

Looks: Not everyone is going to look like a Victoria's Secret model. It's just not possible. If you don't like the way you look, try a little make-up. I wear just eyeliner, but I feel like it makes me look a lot better than when I don't wear it. I know feminists say that you shouldn't wear make-up to look pretty, but if wearing make-up makes you feel good about yourself, who cares what people say? 

Scars: In this context, scars are those in which have been self-inflicted. I'm only going to say one thing about this: you may have the scars, but you're still here, right? The scars show that you've been through a rough time, but your presence proves that you made it through. But if your scars really bother you, cocoa butter works. 

The way people see me: This is something I always worry about. I have bad anxiety, so whenever I'm out somewhere and people are laughing, I feel as if they're laughing at me. I want to look good when I go out because I don't want people to see me as "trashy" or "gross". I always try to make my hair look good, I almost always have make-up on, and I always look out at what I wear. In all honesty, I'm not sure what advice to give you guys about this. But just try to make yourself happy, and don't worry about what other people think. 

Having no self-confidence: Not many people have self-confidence: I know I don't. If you do: that's great! Good job and keep that self-confidence. If you don't: try to look at the positive aspects of how you look, and don't focus on the negative aspects. 

Stretch marks: I used to think that only fat people have stretch marks. That's not true at all. Having stretch marks is not a bad thing: it just means your body isn't keeping up (I believe anyways). Cocoa butter also works when wanting to get rid of stretch marks.