The person who I admire is my grandmother. She is capable of doing anything she wants to do. She is almost 60 years old.
My grandmother loves to be in the bush. She was born there. She has lived most of her life in the bush. She married at 16 and had two children. One was born in the bush. My mother Annie is the oldest and my aunt Hannah was the youngest.
Later in life, grandmother worked at the Hudson Bay store as a cleaning lady, then at Fecteau Airways restaurant as one of the cooks. Years later she and my grandfather became Croup Home parents. For 10 years they worked with young people with social problems.
Grandfather retired at 65 and is now 66 years old. My grandmother retired at the same time.
Now they spend their time in the bush. Sometimes young people live with them. I have never heard my grandmother refuse anyone when they ask for help with anything.
I enjoy learning from my grandmother. She loves to sew and she makes beautiful things.
When she is in the bush, she works very hard and doesn’t stop until everything is done. She rises early with the hunters, takes her gun and goes hunting small game, or she will go and chop firewood.
I love being with my grandmother. Sometimes we go for long walks together and she will tell me stories and legends told to her by her parents or grandparents.
When my aunt Hannah was diagnosed with having breast cancer, she became very sick; she couldn’t walk. She came back to live with my grandparents so my grandmother could take care of her. Grandmother did everything for Hannah; she made sure Hannah took her medicine, had something good to eat and was comfortable.
I thought the doctors would be able to make my aunt well again but we lost her. Four days before my birthday. My grandmother was very sad; she cried every morning for a long time. To have a change we drove down south with my grandparents for a week.
After we came back, my grandparents decided to move back to their own house even though it was very hard. A week later they left for their camp near Brisay. Inside the camp Hannah’s bed was still there. Grandmother could not bear the sight of the bed; it brought more tears. Grandfather took the bed apart and put it away.
One night grandmother could not sleep so she went outside. As she looked up in the sky, she saw a big bright star. She felt afraid at first but her thoughts of Hannah took the fear away. She thinks of Hannah a lot and she is also feeling much better.
I love my grandmother for all that she did for Hannah and all that she does for others. Written in French by Angela Gates. Translated by Leigh-Ann Gates.
