There are many creative people in my family, and their family before them. Many of my relatives on my mom’s side of the family are writers and musicians. On my dad’s side, are screenwriters and teachers. There are many people who inspire and influence me creatively, but one stands out: my grandmother on my mother’s side, whom I call “Grammy.”

Unlike my other creative relatives, Grammy is not a writer, nor is she a musician (although she likes to play the piano on occasion). Instead, she demonstrates her creativity in her everyday life, without confining her creative thoughts to a career or hobby.

She understands things she reads in a different light that sometimes only she can see, she creates her own recipes for scrumptious soups and meals that she gladly shares with the rest of the family and she is constantly implementing her innovative creativity to discover new and more efficient ways to go about her daily life.

I remember when I was a little girl, spending time with Grammy was like looking into a giant array of creative ideas and new and exciting ways to have fun. My sister and I would go over to her house, and she would have creative activities we could participate in. Sometimes the ideas that she came up with, and still does, were so unique, and often wacky, that they would bring my sister and I entirely out of our comfort zones, but the ideas always turned out to be a lot of fun. Grammy would say things like, “Creative ideas are allowed to be silly and childish, and we always have fun doing them.”

Grammy expressed her creativity through reading, too. She created a “reading nook” in the corner of her living room, and when my sister and I were at her house, she would read a story we picked out. She always modeled the voices of the characters, something my sister, Hope, and I, appreciated as little girls.

My grandmother was also creative in her reading of the Bible. She noticed new ways of interpreting verses and things Jesus said; new ways to understand the oftentimes difficult passages. She helped open my eyes to many important aspects and interpretations of those Bible verses and helped me grow in my faith.

Since I was a young girl, I’ve always held on to that vibrance and creativity that my Grammy continues to display. When I’m with my close friends, I usually find some way to make a situation more interesting or fun. When I read my Bible, I try to understand it in ways I hadn’t thought of before. When I am in class, working or planning, I think innovatively to come up with solutions to problems I face, or more effective strategies to accomplish my goals.

My grandmother has built a legacy that will live on long past her life on earth. For now, I am happy to be a part of the legacy she is still building upon and grateful to experience the unique creative interactions I enjoy with her.