Loud laughs, heavenly smells of bacon and biscuits, front doors banging open and slamming closed, and shrill, childish screams greeted me as I woke up early one summer morning. The sweltering Louisiana heat wave kept most people locked indoors, but not us. For today was a celebration, my great grandmothers ninety-second birthday. This event brought the whole family together from extended cousins to step aunts and great uncles. As a child, I lived for the moments where we’d all gather in the living room and exchange childhood memories and random phrases of wisdom and reflection. However, today was different. Today, those memories were shared by dozens of people at my great grandmother’s party. Each person she impacted in her nine decades spoke
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Not because school was out and I no longer had to deal with homework, but because I could spend my days with my grandmother, Momo. Every morning my two brothers and I woke up early, so that our mom and dad could drop us off at Momo’s house before they headed to work. The minute we stepped into the house a strong sweet aroma wafted to our noses. The distinct smell of biscuits baking, and eggs frying on the stove welcomed us every morning without fail. Within the hour, the house would be filled with children. My cousins, brothers, and I were all a handful but she never complained, she loved spending time with us even when we were hyper. Most days we always managed to find some sort of trouble, but we were creative and could come up with complex games to play with only the expansive, grassy backyard as inspiration. We played football and our own version of various sports, we built forts throughout the entirety of the living room, and of course the boys always found some way to get into trouble. Whether it be playing with snakes or trying to bust beehives. Despite being the only girl, I could carry my own and often did so. I remember everyday like clockwork, Momo would usher us into the house to eat lunch while she watched the news and Young and The Restless. Those were the only times she ever demanded …show more content…
As I sat at that party, listening to my mother tell her story, everything clicked. Within her memories I’d found little life tips, but more importantly I heard words of wisdom, encouragement and hope. Although this speech was for my grandmother, not for me, I received more advice from it than all the lectures, side bar conversations, and friendly advice and counsel. As she spoke, I heard, Mariah you’re going off to a good school, a hard school. Don’t be overwhelmed though, you have everything you need in your backyard you just have to find it and take advantage of it. Mariah, you won’t have us up there with you; your family, your parents. You’ll be on your own, but you can do it. Why? Because you have a community of students in the same stage of life as you are. Y’all will fail together, succeed together, lament over bad grades together, face that one difficult class together, but most importantly, y’all will have each other’s backs. Although WASHU is a top school, it’s not a place where people leave each other in the dust and sees everyone only as competition. Mariah, you will find trouble, intentionally or not. Don’t be afraid, be vigilant, be prepared. And most importantly, you are a soft-spoken person, but don’t let yourself be pushed over and ignored. You can and you will carry your
Not because school was out and I no longer had to deal with homework, but because I could spend my days with my grandmother, Momo. Every morning my two brothers and I woke up early, so that our mom and dad could drop us off at Momo’s house before they headed to work. The minute we stepped into the house a strong sweet aroma wafted to our noses. The distinct smell of biscuits baking, and eggs frying on the stove welcomed us every morning without fail. Within the hour, the house would be filled with children. My cousins, brothers, and I were all a handful but she never complained, she loved spending time with us even when we were hyper. Most days we always managed to find some sort of trouble, but we were creative and could come up with complex games to play with only the expansive, grassy backyard as inspiration. We played football and our own version of various sports, we built forts throughout the entirety of the living room, and of course the boys always found some way to get into trouble. Whether it be playing with snakes or trying to bust beehives. Despite being the only girl, I could carry my own and often did so. I remember everyday like clockwork, Momo would usher us into the house to eat lunch while she watched the news and Young and The Restless. Those were the only times she ever demanded …show more content…
As I sat at that party, listening to my mother tell her story, everything clicked. Within her memories I’d found little life tips, but more importantly I heard words of wisdom, encouragement and hope. Although this speech was for my grandmother, not for me, I received more advice from it than all the lectures, side bar conversations, and friendly advice and counsel. As she spoke, I heard, Mariah you’re going off to a good school, a hard school. Don’t be overwhelmed though, you have everything you need in your backyard you just have to find it and take advantage of it. Mariah, you won’t have us up there with you; your family, your parents. You’ll be on your own, but you can do it. Why? Because you have a community of students in the same stage of life as you are. Y’all will fail together, succeed together, lament over bad grades together, face that one difficult class together, but most importantly, y’all will have each other’s backs. Although WASHU is a top school, it’s not a place where people leave each other in the dust and sees everyone only as competition. Mariah, you will find trouble, intentionally or not. Don’t be afraid, be vigilant, be prepared. And most importantly, you are a soft-spoken person, but don’t let yourself be pushed over and ignored. You can and you will carry your