Thinmin12 tells the story of her grandmother's final years.

Happy, shaking, gone. Those were the stages of my Grandma Gail between 2009 and 2011. I suppose I should start from the very beginning . . .

My grandma was a happy person. She was well-known around my small town for making dresses. Wedding, prom, anything, really. Her husband (my grandpa) was a teacher at the local high school. She was so happy. This was the time when she would help anyone who needed it, all of my aunts and my dad and his brother had friends over almost everyday. She made friendship tea, which was the only tea I would drink. I always ran around in the desert in her yard, and come back crying with a cactus stuck in my leg.

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by PAlNTlNG

When people are asked who their favorite "Disney princess" is, usually they'll respond with Ariel, Cinderella, and nowadays Elsa/Anna. Those are all wonderful characters, yet none of them have ever struck me as inspiring or relatable (Ariel was a mermaid wanting to be human, Cinderella watched a pumpkin turn into a carriage and mice become horses, and Elsa has ICE powers for goodness' sake.) Since I was little, my favorite princess has always been Belle from Beauty and the Beast. It was easy to relate to her, considering my nose was always stuck in a book. A skill I've learned in my school years is how to successfully walk through hallways without bumping into someone while reading.

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