I always looked up to my cousin Jenny..She was a role model for me. When I was little and she was in high school, I wanted to wear my hair like her, dress like her, smile like her and be popular like her. She spent time with me and didn't treat me like an annoying little kid. She helped fix my hair, showed me some dance steps, and helped me pick out some outfits. She even let me "hang out" with her and some of her friends. As I started to grow up, I noticed even more ways that I wanted to be like Jenny. I wanted to be kind to people like Jenny always was. I wanted to be cheerful and make people feel happy like Jenny did. I wanted to be thoughtful and helpful...just like Jenny.
When Nick and Mindy were born, I saw how much Jenny loved them. She showered them with love. There was nothing more important to her than her children. She always supported them and was so proud of their accomplishments. I realized that Jenny was the type of mother that someday I wanted to try to be.
Jenny loved and was loved by all of her family members. She was the one everyone wanted to sit nex to at family get togethers. She inherited the "Grachek Humor". She always had a funny joke or story. She was the life of the party.
She always had a funny game for us to try... or even better, a new dance step to teach us. At our family reunion, she had all of the ladies snake dancing around the room, dressed in costumes singing "We Are Family"! Priceless!!!
As I grew even older, I realized even more, the compassion Jenny showed to everyone. When I would come from Tennessee to see my family, I would always look forward to spending time with Jenny. Sometimes I would get to spend the night with her. We'd stay up all night (along with her dog) laughing and talking. We would attend her church and visit with her friends and family. They would all tell me about projects Jenny had been involved in and how caring and devoted Jenny was in helping anyone that needed help. Everyone one agreed that Jenny ALWAYS put others before herself!
Jenny was always my Angel Cousin on Earth...and now she is my Heavenly Angel Cousin. I love Jenny so much and will always strive to be just like Jenny!