The Person Who Changed My Life

Over the course of my life, one place and one person have impacted my life the most and in the greatest way. The person that has shaped me to be who I am today is my grandfather, Dwight L. Kinard. He lost his battle with cancer in June of last year and it was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. For as long as I can remember I have always had a special bond with my grandfather, who my sisters and I called “Dite”, because of the similarity to his given name. He was the kindest, most loving, and the funniest man I have ever met in my entire life. He loved us without hesitation and carried our family through hard times. He loved my grandmother so well, even after sixty-five years of marriage, and showed us all how to lead God-fearing

I don’t remember it, but there are videos and even then, I was in love. I honestly can’t remember a time in my life that Colorado hasn’t been one of the biggest parts. If you ask anyone acquainted me they will confirm it is something I talk about nonstop. Colorado fueled a love of nature and mountains in me, and now it is my greatest connection to my grandfather. He loved Colorado and our cabin even more than I did, and that is saying something. When I am in the mountains I feel free and that I can escape from whatever problems I may have at the time, even if it’s only for a short while. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about it or wish that I was there, and I genuinely believe that I would not be the person I am today if it wasn’t for all the years I spent in Colorado. It is something that is quite literally in my family’s blood. My grandpa had been going to the same area in Colorado for over eighty years, and he passed it on to his children, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren. We all love Colorado with a deep passion and try to make it up there two to three times a year, and my dad carved a mountain that resembles one from the area we go in Colorado to hang in my room. It’s hard for me to explain what Almont, Colorado means to me in words without getting emotional, especially now that my grandfather is gone, but I know it is something that is going to stay with me for the rest of my life that I can pass on to my future children. This summer will mark the twentieth summer spent in Colorado for me, and I hope it continues to be something I can do every year. It was always a special place even before Dite passed away, but now when I return to the cabin I know he will always be with me. I think it’s so special that the person and the place that has affected me most in my life are so connected,