My Inspiration and My Sanctuary We all have a sanctuary, whether it's a favorite book or song, or a special, private place nearby to the river. My sanctuary is somewhat unique, as so few people are lucky enough to have it. She is five feet seven inches tall, has warm hazel eyes, a kind smile, and the most beautiful soul I have ever met in my eighteen years of life. I call her Nona. My grandmother is one of the perpetually young at heart people and it shows in everything she does. At family gatherings, he flits from table to table, laughing, talking (excessively, a family trait that seems to have skipped my generation), and giving kisses to young and old alike. I can honestly say that I have never known her to back down from doing anything that wouldn't kill her. Friends and family may laugh at her apparent inability to sit still, they may make the occasional joke about decaf coffee or the Energizer Bunny, but they respect her, just as we all respect and admire anyone who can take such obvious pleasure in simply being. alive Many individuals waste their early years wishing they had “grown up,” waste their later years in a fruitless quest to stay young, and, as a result, never experience a single moment of contentment. Watching Nona taught me the value of time. She was instrumental in helping me understand that these are the years that will transform me into an adult and that I need to give myself time to establish my identity. As I look ahead to my future, I don't feel the desire to rush forward to meet it; walking at a walking pace is sufficient. Perhaps it is a gift inherent in every actor, perhaps it is one of the advantages of his many years of life, but Nona possesses an intuition that I have never seen elsewhere. He can sense when something is wrong and, more often than not, can determine what it is with a few sharp questions. She will never interfere on the rare occasions when I wish to remain silent, and the confidences given to her are always, always safe.