MAH PAPER.
Because it was draining, sweet and personal. OPINIONS, PLEASE.
Betty Bradford- My Pivotal Person
By Landice Anderson
There are times when I try to imagine my life without Betty Bradford, but find that I cannot even begin to process how difficult it would be. She has had such a profound affect on my life that I cannot help but believe that had she not come into it, I would be a completely different person than I am today. It has been Betty who has guided me through the decisions and personality changes I have made in the last several years and it has been her opinion that I value more than any other. She has been a constant source of comfort and support, helping me when I was struggling with something, ready to lend a hand whenever necessary. It is for these and many other reasons that Ms. Betty, as I affectionately call her, is the most pivotal person I have yet to know.
Ms. Betty is an older, intellectual, true Southern lady. She holds positions in our church and was president of the local garden club chapter for multiple years. She never had children of her own, but has been in a strong, faithful marriage for over forty years. She’s traveled all over the world, but came back to settle in East Texas, along with all the wisdom she picked up during her lifetime. She’s quick as a whip, fantastic for advice, and someone you can always talk to, no matter what. I first met her at a young age, and when I told her about my grandmother dying a few years before from Alzheimer’s disease, she immediately assumed the position of ‘grandma’ to me. She had always wanted a granddaughter, and together, we were able to do all the things grandparents and grandchildren do everyday that we had been unable to experience- due to my real grandmother’s illness, and the fact that she was childless.
Ms. Betty has put much time and effort into the process of molding me into an intelligent, graceful, and responsible young woman. Ms. Betty’s many gifts include cooking, sewing, and gardening, all of which she has tried very hard to pass on. She writes her own recipes and draws her own sewing patterns, showing off just a few of her many gifts. She leads her sewing group in the construction of multiple quilts each year, and has been known to make the refreshments for church fellowships, which I’ve been cajoled into assisting her on in an effort to bring about my as yet unapparent homemaking skills. It is only by her patience and perseverance that I am able to make even the simplest of foods.
By correcting my behavior and being a model for me to follow, Ms. Betty has shown that she has a high moral standard for me. She is a responsible, caring, honest human being, and someone her peers should attempt to emulate in every day life. Because she has attended church from a young age, Ms. Betty has always been very conscientious. Through her work with the poor, sick, and elderly, her reputation for being a helpful lady is widespread. She cares for others more than she does for herself, and premeditates others’ needs. Ms. Betty is entirely invested in everything she does, and in my personal experience, she has yet to break a promise or engagement. Using her actions as examples, I have become a more considerate, responsible and supportive girl. In addition, as an advocate of modesty, Ms. Betty has always made sure her clothing was classy and elegant, as well as whatever I wore.
I am unable to count the hours Miss Betty has spent with me, passing on knowledge and poise. Culture is something very near to her heart, and she shares her love for it through trips to art museums and flower gardens. She is a regular patron of the Tyler Museum of Art, and a frequent visitor to the Tyler Rose Garden and Tyler Civic Theatre Center, where she took me to my first non-student theatrical production. Another of her passions is classic film, and with her help, I have developed a fervid interest and appreciation for it. She has ventured to introduce my sister and I to all the things she herself was never able to experience, but always wanted to, and I am unendingly grateful for her generosity.
Another interesting quality Ms. Betty possesses is her love of travel, something she has shared with me in recently. This summer, she fulfilled a decade long plan of visiting culture-rich New York City, and she decided to bring me along. We dropped by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, multiple Broadway shows, including a historical and educational drama, a museum of artifacts from the Titanic, and a Lincoln Center exhibit on legendary actress Katharine Hepburn. Everything we did in the city was her attempt to show me the finer side of life. The experience ranks high on my list of things I’ve done, and if it weren’t for her, I never would have seen and toured this magnificent, captivating city. It was a long trip, but because she is incredibly patient woman, she was able to make it through an entire week in strange surroundings with virtually no ‘snags’.
In conclusion, without Miss Betty I would be practically no one. She has done her best to share her genteel qualities, Southern talents, caring nature, and appreciation of culture with me for many years. It is by her hand that I have been able to experience so many things and had so many opportunities for self-improvement in my young life. I love her very much, and I have more respect for this woman than for any other adult- parent, teacher, or actor I know. She not only commands respect, but also does it in a way that you don’t realize she is doing it. She’s someone you want to respect and pay attention to, and from the time we met, anyone who knows me can tell you that my personality and habits have made a complete one-eighty pivot in a positive direction. She has been instrumental to my upbringing, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Edit. Maggie to the rescue! Should now be working.