Page 14 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2019- Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS
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Senior Senior Carlton & Dale

Bradley

Unexpected

Heroes

by Bailey Bradley

veryone has a hero, someone to be not only our grandparents but
they look up to, someone they also our parents. If it weren’t for
Eadmire, someone they can count them, I wouldn’t have half of the life
on. My grandparents, Carlton and I have now, half of the love I have
Dale Bradley, can best be described by now, half of the stories I get to tell
the saying “not all heroes wear capes” my children. My grandparents took
because that’s exactly what they what they’ve learned and gave me
are, heroes. They’ve saved me, from the most important thing they could
myself, my childhood, my mother. have ever given me - wisdom.

I don’t remember a lot from my I never fully realized everything
childhood, which after years of they’d given up by taking us in,
therapy, I now realize is “blockage” everything they missed out on. however, at the end of everything I
- meaning I’m a professional at They’d both tell you about Ireland, have been through, I still ended up
blocking out any unsound point in how’d they’d been saving up since with an amazing family that I would
my childhood. My brain refuses to they got married so they could not trade for the world.
remember it. My mother struggled go. What they wouldn’t tell you is My grandmother has the biggest
with drug and alcohol addiction where the money went: to lawyers heart I know. She’s the caretaker,
leaving my oldest brother to act as my for guardianship, dirt bike races, the nurse, “the strict parent,” and as
parent. In 2004, my mother dropped volleyball tournaments. my grandfather would tell you, “the
us off at our grandparents, promising smart one.” She is always making sure
to pick us up before dinner; fourteen It wasn’t my mom I looked for in our homework is done, our grades
short years later, she still hasn’t come the stands during every volleyball are good, all while cooking dinner
to pick me up. and basketball game. It was my
grandparents; it was my brothers. and yelling at my brothers to stop
Growing up with grandparents, you My grandparents were at every throwing the ball in the house.
notice things differently: how old game, every concert, science fair, My grandfather is the complete
people really can pull all-nighters on UIL competition. My family has opposite. He’s “the cool parent.” I
Christmas Eve; how good 70’s music always been on the front row. My get my sense of humor from him but
actually is; how that surprisingly, even grandmother always cheered the also my hatred for small spaces and
with a bad knee, four heart attacks, loudest while my grandfather yelled the occasional bad attitude. He’s a
and a stroke, my grandfather can still at the refs the loudest. I have a very fixer, from washing machines to the
run - not fast - but he can run. They unconventional family compared three cars I’ve had, as well as to my
always did what they could, having to what society tells us is “normal”; heartbreaks.

14 Lubbock Senior Link