she was here , she would prepare me for the future , for whatever challenges awaited me as I grew up . It was her way of preparing me to be as strong as she knew that I could be and would have to be .
Ruby is not a coddler . She is an enabler . She shows you her best , and fully expects for you to follow that example and to rise to the occasion of your best . Has she always been there to catch me when I fell ? Sometimes . But mostly , she stood back , offered an ear to listen and advice , and waited for me to get up on my own . And I have , most of the time . Those times when I didn ’ t , I remembered her example . There ’ s dignity even in failure , even when things don ’ t work out your way . I watched and admired her keeping her head up in adversity , dusting herself off , and standing even taller when the dust settled .
We ’ ve reached a place in our lives where the respect is mutual , and a genuine friendship has evolved between us . She ’ s sly with her humor . If you ’ re not paying attention , it can get passed you , but I ’ ve learned to recognize it , and I ’ m surprised to see how closely it resembles that of her mother ’ s , my grandmother . Growing up , I wasn ’ t really sure she even had a sense of humor . But I like it . We like each other . That ’ s something I wasn ’ t ever sure would happen . I adore my mother . She is one of the most kind , generous and loving people you ’ ll ever meet . And as I get older , I ’ m starting to think that maybe I ’ m starting to change and become more like her than my dad . I certainly look more like her now than I have ever have in my life . She ’ s cute . So , I don ’ t mind .