My Great-Grandmother’s Dining Room by Lexi M.
I have two great-aunts who were my childhood best friends. Aunt Darlene and
Jojo used to sit in my great-grandmother’s dining room and make all of my wildest
dreams come true. When we played make-believe I got to be the CEO of several
companies, travel the world, be a business mogul, and indulge in the most luxurious
lifestyles all from the comfort of the dining room. One of my favorite and most memorable
business endeavors was my world-famous restaurant, “The Blue Flower.” I barked
commands and Jojo or Darlene would scurry around to fulfill all of my orders, which
helped me take care of all of our valued (imaginary) customers. We had to decorate the
restaurant with elaborate centerpieces we created, make beautiful crayon menus, and
also be the hostesses, waitresses, and cook all of our elaborate meals at the same time.
My Aunt Darlene would even keep financial books for my businesses. She taught me
how to count money using a Barbie cash register, add and subtract, and balance our
book. Jojo taught me how to properly set a table, clean dishes, and make homemade
noodles. I always had so much fun coming up with new ideas that my aunts would bring
to life.
Now that I’m older, I tend to look back on the days I spent at my
great-grandmother's house and I now see all the positive effects those days playing
make-believe have had on me. I realize now how lucky I am to have such a strong
support system and people who have wanted to see me succeed my entire life in
anything I may do. My aunts have been my biggest cheerleaders whether it be my
grades in school, my performance on the basketball court, or even just basic goals I set
for myself. I also attribute my confidence and “go-getter” attitude to my aunts. They
always have reassured me that I can do anything I set my mind to. When I was younger,
they were encouraging me to come up with the craziest dreams I could and it has
translated to my current life. Because of them, I have learned to set huge goals and work
to make them a reality. I am so thankful for the parts of my childhood they were involved
in, and I know that a big part of the person I am now is because of those days we spent
in the dining room.
Because of Jojo and Darlene, I have learned to believe in a lot of things. I believe
in working hard to turn your wildest dreams into your reality. I believe in validating
youth’s ideas, thoughts, and feelings. I believe in cheering people on during their biggest
and riskiest endeavors and I believe in celebrating even the smallest successes of
other people. I believe in believing in yourself and being confident in your own abilities.
But above all else, my aunts have taught me to believe in encouraging imagination.
