I opened the old dusty black photo album with spider webs on it in my grandparent's apartment in Nebraska, America. I had been given the meticulous task of writing a speech to the upcoming funeral of my beloved grandfather, Eric. Pictures from a decade ago flooded abundantly onto my grandma's lap. Every image we flicked through, was haunting yet great memories of the past. I glanced up only to find a glistening tear falling down my grandmother's cheek. "Grandma, why are you crying?" I asked politely. She carefully took out a photo of my her taking care of my grandpa in the hospital.
Then she started telling her story. In 1914, my grandma, Jocelyn Murdoch served 4 years in the first World War in Gallipoli. As a nurse, she worked long, hard hours among several patients with all her willpower and sense of duty; and had served under great doctors whom she had helped with treatment of the injured. She used to always speak about her time in the war and how she met my famous grandfather, Eric Murdoch. Eric was a sniper in third division, in the 1st brigade. He was quite a tall bloke, with brown hair and ravishing blue eyes who always had a smile on his face, regardless of the situation. He was famed for saving his comrades' lives as he leaped in front of the bullet and had been shot in his right arm after being a year in the army. Quickly after that, my grandfather was rushed to the nearest hospital where my grandma had been working in. While my grandmother was assigned to his recovery, she explained his injury to be infectious and that they had to amputate his right arm. Slowly day after day, Eric started feeling better, and was infatuated with Jocelyn's kindness and simple beauty that he had never seen before. He began watching her closely, his heart warmed by her loving nature and the dedication that she showed to patients around him.
Soon after, when the war ended and when my grandparents finished their service, Eric finally took courage and asked Jocelyn out on a date. Since then, every single Friday night they would go to the local bars and nightclubs where they partied until their feet hurt and could barely move. 5 years later, on the 20th of March, my grandpa finally proposed to my grandma in the beautiful, scenic botanical gardens in Venice Italy. They lived a happy life together bringing 3 healthy and thriving children in this world, which one of them is my dad. 55 years later, my grandpa got very sick. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had 3 years to live. 3 and a half years passed, and my grandpa passed away. From that moment, my grandma has been sharing her past stories with people. She writes books, talks in interviews and talks in schools to educate them about the war and what she went through. I think that she's such an inspiring figure, to have lived through such a tough time and still come out as a strong and optimistic person. As my grandma always says, "Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart. It is now with my greatest pleasure to help my eldest grandchild to write a memorable speech for her heroic and admirable grandfather."