My Influences

November must be really special month. Not only is it Thanksgiving, but two of my biggest influences were born in November. The first is my great-grandma Aurea Riviello. This woman is absolutely amazing. She will be 101 on the twenty seventh of the month. She has raised three beautiful children, one of them being my very spunky, sassy grandma Judith Acosta Gilmore. Aurea was born in Puerto Rico on November 27, 1907. She has three children, Edna Coll, Judith Gilmore, and Al Acosta. GG Ma is an inspiring woman. She use to smoke all the time. One day a woman came to her home and gave her a filter to place on the end of her ciggy to see how much gunk was in one cig. She smoked one and afterwards looked at the filter. When she looked at the filter then tried to clean it she realized that all the gunk was going in her lungs and body and stopped smoking cold turkey. How many people do you know who would do that? She also was married to a man who served during WW II. I don't know what I would have done if my husband were in another country fighting. Communication back in those days was slow so it was a long time before you heard from your loved ones. She was able to make it through those times and still raise her children. That husband eventually passed away and she married another man. I don; know anything about him so no stories. Once that husband was out of the picture she lived with her oldest daughter, Edna, and her husband Luis Coll in Spain for many years. GG Ma was also a make-up counter manager and use to have to yell at her girls to get back to work all the time. One time while visiting her she thought I was one of her make-up counter girls and started yelling at me in Spanish to get back to work and stop being so lazy. Now Aurea lives in Tamp, FL in a retirement facility where she can receive round the clock care. She has just recently transitioned into the late stages of Alzheimer's Disease. I have had the opportunity to spend some time with her the past few years. I which I had been able to spend time with her when she could actually tell me stories about her life, but any time with her is wonderful. Every time I visit, Edna tells her that she has to speak in English to me because I don't understand Spanish. She looks at me, smiles her mischievous smile and speaks Spanish the entire time I am there. She is the biggest prankster I know too. She and another woman in the home would go behind the counter where some of the nurses kept their purses when no one was looking and take someones purse. She would then hide it behind a plant close by or under a table. Since people knew she liked to pull pranks they would ask her where she hid the purse. Since she is Alzheimered she would actually shrug her shoulders and say, "I don't know what you are talking about. I didn't take anything." before long another resident would find the purse and return it. She also gave me some great advice and showed her love for her family. I told her that when I have kids and if I have a daughter I want to name her Aurea. She then told me I could not name her Aurea unless I had my mother's name as part of the name. So we made a contract that I would name my daughter either Debra Aurea or Aurea Debra. I didn't think she remembered my mom's name, but she did and it gave me a whole new respect for her seeing that she had just met my mom. She also told me to remember who I am. The last day I was with her I was sitting with her by myself in the courtyard of the home and she began speaking to me in English for the first time in two visits and she told me to remember who I am and to continue to work to achieve my goals. She is a wise woman, and I love he dearly. I just pray that she will last one more Christmas with her family and that she knows how much we love her.

The second person is my dad, Scott Steven Gilmore. He was born in Great Falls, Montana on November 28, 1953. He is great example of everything I want to be. Great grandma calls him bologna, which he is full of, so she is correct when she calls him that. Even though she calls him bologna he is still a great person. Dad was raised in an Air Force family. My grandfather moved his family all over the world and I believe that is what has helped form my dad. My dad has so much love for those around him. he is comfortable with everyone and seems to make friends with all he meets. He is one of the biggest influences in many of his athletes lives. When I was in high school, his jv team would call him "Dad". Many of his athletes had dads in the Army and they were not around all the much so they found fatherly advice and a father figure in my dad. Today, he has many athletes that come back to him and thank him for the person they could go to when they could not go to their parents about something but still need advice. Like great-grandma he is a huge prankster. It would take way to long to go through his list of pranks. My dad is one of the most courageous people I know. He is a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the only member in his family. There was a lot of friction in the family when my dad joined the church, but that did not stop him. I am so grateful and happy that he was able to stay strong in the church. He lives his life in service. He has taught me a great deal about service by just doing the small and simple things he needs to do. He has always given me the support and encouragement I have needed and has knocked me back into place when I needed him to. He taught me how to be independent. That's why I am so independent today. He has shown me many things that I would have never learned anywhere else. He is truly an influence in my life. People even tell me I am just like my dad. The mannerisms, the drive and passion for things, and even the looks. The worst thing a girl can hear is that she looks like her dad. If you know my dad then you can know me a little better. Dad and I have a great bond that has only become stronger as I have found a new respect for him after visiting with old family friends. People love and deeply respect my dad. I just hope one day that I will be able to one day be more like my dad. I love my great-grandma Aurea and my dad. They will forever influence me.