Who Influenced Me

Half my life I've been known to be a role model to others, but I've always had someone that always seemed to influence me grately. My grandmother has always been that postive support system I needed. She always encourged me to strive for anything no matter if it was hard to do. If it took me from jumping from activities to activites she was there a 100% (as long as I found something I wanted to do). The person who influenced me so much was my All-star Cheerleading Coach, this team wasn't like your ordinary cheerleading team because first off we didnt all attend the same school and it went from the ages of 4 to 18. His name was Coach Edward Maye. I met him when i was around the age of 6 or 7. I never knew how important he was in my life until the day he left this world. He died back in March of 2008 and was only in his early 40s; he died from pneumonia. It was like one minute he was here and the next day he was gone (literally). He was just at practice practicing with the younger cheerleaders two days before he died and he was in good condition, he didnt even look sick at all its just when he went to the hospital that morning all failed. I was actually out of town on a college tour at my high school (March 2-4). We were on our way back from Ohio and I got really sick; I had a panic attack and I never had one of those. When I got back home that night I went to the emergency room. The next day (March 5) I was woke to my grandma coming in my room panicking while on the phone. And she yelled out to me will I was sleep saying "OH MY GOD COACH MAYE IS DEAD!!!" and right there I couldnt even wake up in my sleep all the way i layed there and started crying, it felt like all hope was gone; like everything was taking away from me. (I can't believe I'm crying right now). That man was everything to me he was just like a father especially since I've known him since i was very young. He was the person always pushing me to do better when performing just because he knew I could do better. At first I used to fault him and get mad at him for doing it; while practicing he would always blame me for everything instead of the people who was doing it wrong. But he knew that every one did everything I did and I was a role model to all of them so he would yell at me to do it right. But now I know why he did it, and its because he seen alot in me and wanted me to do better because he knew I could. And as of now I'm a great performer and always trying to go beyond while performing because I have that potential and because he was the one to push me, so now its kinda like embeded in me to wanting the spotlight. The last words he left my grandma with a few days before the died was when my grandma came and told him,"DeAndra thinks she the shit" and he told her, "because she is the shit Mama Gathings". I miss him so much.....