Teenagers often have a hero or heroine they admire and want to imitate. Some of my friends worship celebrities like football stars and Hollywood actors or actresses because of their talent and good looks. The person I admire is closer to home. He is neither famous nor wealthy. But my grandfather is the person who most deserves my admiration.
My father's father, Yang Fu, is a clever man. He was born to a farmer in the Shandong province of China. His father was too poor to send him to school. As soon as he could walk, he was helping his parents in the field. At the age of 15, he followed his older brother to Malaya to work. They worked from morning to night as rubber tappers and laborers. Grandpa saw the potential in the rubber industry. His good business sense led him to convince his brother to buy a small rubber estate. It was the right decision and life became better for them after that.
Grandpa faced a lot of difficulties in his life but he never gave up. During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya in the 1940s, Grandpa's brother was killed. Grandpa lost everything. When the war finally ended, it was back to square one. Grandpa worked harder than before. He planted rubber on a small plot of land. Steadily, his business flourished and he became the owner of several rubber plantations and fruit orchards in Negeri Sembilan and Johor. Finally, he got married at the age of 30 and had three children.
Grandpa's children respect him greatly. Although Grandpa is not educated, he is a man of wisdom. He trained his children to think logically and instilled in them strong self-discipline. Today, my uncle is a famous surgeon, my aunt is an architect and my father is the head of the family business. All three owe their success to the values Grandpa taught them.
In conclusion, I have yet to meet another person who deserves my admiration and respect like my grandfather. He is clever, hard-working, persevering and wise. I strive to use him as an example in whatever I do. I am honored to be his grandchild.