Blue Ribbon Case Study

Blue Ribbon Paper

I originally wanted to give my blue ribbon to my grandfather who helped raise me, but he passed away in 2004. So I decided to give it to a person whom my grandfather trusted and loved very much. I decided to give my blue ribbon to my grandmother or otherwise known as my Mema. I decided to give my blue ribbon to my Mema because she was always there for me, whether I “thought” I needed her or not.

My grandparents decided to take me in when I was 3 or 4 years of age. My mother was a single teenage mom in the late 1970’s and struggled to pay bills, work a fulltime job, be a fulltime parent, and provide the proper childcare I needed. So, in stepped my grandparents who I continue to this day think of as my parents.

When I called Mema to explain what I was doing with this project and explained to her that she was my blue ribbon recipient, I could tell she began to tear up. She was overcome with joy and emotion. I went on to explain to her that she was my blue ribbon because of everything she and my grandfather had done for me without ever asking for anything in return. When they made the decision to take me in they were semi-retired with dreams of traveling the world. I explained to her that I had not understood the sacrifices that they had made until I was much older. I told her that I loved her and thanked her for the selfless decision she made so many years ago. I also wanted to convey to her that she truly was the perfect role model for me when I was growing up. They had those “old school” values or what I thought to be old school. Turns out it was simply a strong set of values that they had worked on and followed themselves.

After explaining everything to Mema she responded by telling me how proud she was of me and that she can see that they made the right decision after seeing me interact with my kids. She goes on to say that I am a great father and she no longer worries about