When I was about six years old, I lost one of my teeth. I was so excited that the Tooth Fairy was going to visit me and give me money. I told my mom about my lost tooth and she smiled.
That night, my mom snuck into my room when I was asleep and took my tooth. The only problem was, she forgot to leave money under my pillow in return.
When I woke up the next morning, I looked everywhere for the money. In the end, I was devastated- the Tooth Fairy had stolen my tooth. I told my mom about the incident, heartbroken and outraged. She assured me over and over that the Tooth Fairy would probably realize her mistake and come back the next night.So when I went to bed, my mom snuck in once more in the middle of the night and corrected the "Tooth Fairy's" mistake.
When I awoke the next morning, I sat up and rubbed my eyes before looking around sleepily. Suddenly, my eyes widened and a toothy grin (with the exception of my missing tooth, of course) broke out on my face. Glitter covered my bedspread and my hair.
I then stood up on my bed and lifted my pillow up. Low and behold, a small mound of change was beneath it. There was also one other thing. A small note of apology from the Tooth Fairy sat beside the money. Back then , I thought I was pretty special to get fairy dust, a note, AND extra money for one of my baby teeth.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Christmas Nonfiction
Now that Christmas is coming, I start to think about all the good Christmases I've had in the past, and the bad ones. I'm reminded of the worst Christmas ever when I hear the lyrics to the song "Feliz Navidad." The worst Christmas I ever had was when I was just four years old. My parents were divorced then, but my dad was able to take me and my brother out once a week according to the lawyer. We happened to go out with my dad late one Christmas Eve. He ended up with a few charges against him. He was arrested that night. It was terrible.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
My Friend's Emancipation
This weekend has been a tough one. I had to face people who were spiteful and hateful, but it was all in order to help one of my friends escape his family. They threatened to call the police on me, and said that I manipulated my friend into wanting to be emancipated. But I know that it was his choice and that he deserves a chance at living a normal life without such a disfunctional family holding him back. I'll start at the beginning.
My friend lives in a family who doesn't care enough about him to do the right thing for him. The stepfather does drugs and spends all the money that is supposed to go to food and rent for his family. The mother is too weak to leave him and give her kids what they really need in life. It is an abusive and secretive household, and there is so much corruption that I can not believe my friend has kept a hold on his good heart.
I met him only a year ago, but I know so much now that I know that the best thing for him to do is be emancipated and live on his own. He has had to grow up fast, and take care of himself and his little half-brother and sister when his mother was too busy cleaning up after her husband's mistakes to care.
Last week, the stepfather did something so horrible that my friend felt that he needed to become emancipated sooner than he expected. He already had a place picked out to live with a few of his older friends, so all he had to do was go to his house and pick up his things. But he had to tell his family what he planned on doing.
Since he doesn't have his driver's license yet and because I wanted to do all I could to help, I drove him to his aunt and uncle's house (his parents are moving to St. George but he had to finish up the first quarter of school) to get his things. He said that more than anything he needed moral support.
I haven't been welcome at his house because the entire family believes that I ruined his parents' marriage. It is ridiculous to think that I, at that time seventeen years old, could be capable of ruining someone's marriage. I even comforted my friend's mother when she came to me crying on my shoulder because of his drug addiction and infidelity. A thirty-four-year-old woman cried on my shoulder complaining about her husband, and I got her to talk to my mom about it. But a week later she was perfectly fine with her husband again and all of the sudden hated me, spreading the word to her family that I was the Antichrist of marriage problems.
So when my friend told me he wanted to come inside, I was hesitant because I am now eighteen and can be arrested. But I decided that if she told me to leave I would. So the two of us walked into the house. Right when his aunt saw me, she said with spite and malice, "You have to leave right now. If you do not leave, I will call the police."
Calmly, I asked her, "Why?"
"Because his mother told me that you are not allowed to hang out with him because of the damage you've caused to her marriage."
Yes, I was angry and shaken and so completely confused on how these people could be so fucked up. But I left. I decided to wait in the car for a few minutes in case he came out with his things, but after five minutes it was apparent that that wasn't going to happen. The aunt and uncle came out of the house yelling at me and threatening me once more with the police, so I left, talking on my cell phone with my mom for moral support. I had never had adults act so hostile toward me in my life. I have always been the good student in school, the polite and quiet girl, but these people looked at me as if I was the exact opposite. It shook me.
I cried on the way home and for a little while in my room, waiting for the phone to ring in case my friend would be able to get out. His family was so unpredictable. The crime that my friend's stepfather committed was completely covered up by him, the mother, and the mother had enough nerve to tell my friend that it was okay to tell a little lie to get out of such legal matters. I was apalled, and so afraid for my friend. Their selfishness proved that they cared more about themselves than their children.
After waiting for a while, I decided to watch a movie to get my mind off of it. I was halfway through the movie when my cell phone began ringing. I snatched it off the couch and saw that it was my friend. I answered it and he said simply, "They let me go."
I sat there for a second as the words sunk in, and he asked if I could pick him up and take him and his bags to his new place. He had only talked to his parents for an hour, while his aunt and uncle talked to him for two.
When I got to him, he told me all the things that were said. His stepfather simply swore and threatened and verbally abused my friend while his mother sat on the couch trying to guilt trip and manipulate her son (which I have seen her do countless times).
My friend said that he would tell the cops what his stepfather did, and his aunt cut in with a line that I cannot believe any decent human being would EVER say. "The Bible says to honor thy husband. Well, I would throw my kids in the street before throwing my husband out in the street." My friend was just as angry and disgusted as I was, especially when his mother chimed in with the same statement. I couldn't even imagine having my own mother say that about me. I will never know how my friend feels, but I am trying my best to understand and help him however I can.
His uncle, however, was completely supportive, saying that he knew what his homelife was like and that he encouraged him to live on his own. Even though his uncle hates me too, I was so happy that at least one person was on my friend's side.
I drove him to his new place, where his best friend and a few other guys live. I am glad he will have someone close to talk to, and the rent payment is cheap so he won't have to work so hard at living on his own. His first month is even paid for already by his roommates. His friend helped him with his bags, and even though the place is kind of small, it's still a place to live.
My friend's mother is signing the emancipation papers on Friday, and I couldn't be happier for him. I am so proud of him for doing all of this, and at sixteen years old. I hope that he can do all that he needs to without feeling so stressed or overwhelmed. I know that sometimes it is going to be hard for him to deal with, but at the same time I know that this is the best decision he has ever made for himself. I believe that he can do this, and I pray for all the help he can get.
My friend lives in a family who doesn't care enough about him to do the right thing for him. The stepfather does drugs and spends all the money that is supposed to go to food and rent for his family. The mother is too weak to leave him and give her kids what they really need in life. It is an abusive and secretive household, and there is so much corruption that I can not believe my friend has kept a hold on his good heart.
I met him only a year ago, but I know so much now that I know that the best thing for him to do is be emancipated and live on his own. He has had to grow up fast, and take care of himself and his little half-brother and sister when his mother was too busy cleaning up after her husband's mistakes to care.
Last week, the stepfather did something so horrible that my friend felt that he needed to become emancipated sooner than he expected. He already had a place picked out to live with a few of his older friends, so all he had to do was go to his house and pick up his things. But he had to tell his family what he planned on doing.
Since he doesn't have his driver's license yet and because I wanted to do all I could to help, I drove him to his aunt and uncle's house (his parents are moving to St. George but he had to finish up the first quarter of school) to get his things. He said that more than anything he needed moral support.
I haven't been welcome at his house because the entire family believes that I ruined his parents' marriage. It is ridiculous to think that I, at that time seventeen years old, could be capable of ruining someone's marriage. I even comforted my friend's mother when she came to me crying on my shoulder because of his drug addiction and infidelity. A thirty-four-year-old woman cried on my shoulder complaining about her husband, and I got her to talk to my mom about it. But a week later she was perfectly fine with her husband again and all of the sudden hated me, spreading the word to her family that I was the Antichrist of marriage problems.
So when my friend told me he wanted to come inside, I was hesitant because I am now eighteen and can be arrested. But I decided that if she told me to leave I would. So the two of us walked into the house. Right when his aunt saw me, she said with spite and malice, "You have to leave right now. If you do not leave, I will call the police."
Calmly, I asked her, "Why?"
"Because his mother told me that you are not allowed to hang out with him because of the damage you've caused to her marriage."
Yes, I was angry and shaken and so completely confused on how these people could be so fucked up. But I left. I decided to wait in the car for a few minutes in case he came out with his things, but after five minutes it was apparent that that wasn't going to happen. The aunt and uncle came out of the house yelling at me and threatening me once more with the police, so I left, talking on my cell phone with my mom for moral support. I had never had adults act so hostile toward me in my life. I have always been the good student in school, the polite and quiet girl, but these people looked at me as if I was the exact opposite. It shook me.
I cried on the way home and for a little while in my room, waiting for the phone to ring in case my friend would be able to get out. His family was so unpredictable. The crime that my friend's stepfather committed was completely covered up by him, the mother, and the mother had enough nerve to tell my friend that it was okay to tell a little lie to get out of such legal matters. I was apalled, and so afraid for my friend. Their selfishness proved that they cared more about themselves than their children.
After waiting for a while, I decided to watch a movie to get my mind off of it. I was halfway through the movie when my cell phone began ringing. I snatched it off the couch and saw that it was my friend. I answered it and he said simply, "They let me go."
I sat there for a second as the words sunk in, and he asked if I could pick him up and take him and his bags to his new place. He had only talked to his parents for an hour, while his aunt and uncle talked to him for two.
When I got to him, he told me all the things that were said. His stepfather simply swore and threatened and verbally abused my friend while his mother sat on the couch trying to guilt trip and manipulate her son (which I have seen her do countless times).
My friend said that he would tell the cops what his stepfather did, and his aunt cut in with a line that I cannot believe any decent human being would EVER say. "The Bible says to honor thy husband. Well, I would throw my kids in the street before throwing my husband out in the street." My friend was just as angry and disgusted as I was, especially when his mother chimed in with the same statement. I couldn't even imagine having my own mother say that about me. I will never know how my friend feels, but I am trying my best to understand and help him however I can.
His uncle, however, was completely supportive, saying that he knew what his homelife was like and that he encouraged him to live on his own. Even though his uncle hates me too, I was so happy that at least one person was on my friend's side.
I drove him to his new place, where his best friend and a few other guys live. I am glad he will have someone close to talk to, and the rent payment is cheap so he won't have to work so hard at living on his own. His first month is even paid for already by his roommates. His friend helped him with his bags, and even though the place is kind of small, it's still a place to live.
My friend's mother is signing the emancipation papers on Friday, and I couldn't be happier for him. I am so proud of him for doing all of this, and at sixteen years old. I hope that he can do all that he needs to without feeling so stressed or overwhelmed. I know that sometimes it is going to be hard for him to deal with, but at the same time I know that this is the best decision he has ever made for himself. I believe that he can do this, and I pray for all the help he can get.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Being Civil
I was at work when a guy came in to make a copy. When he was at the register, I told him it was eight cents. I held out my hand for the change he was sifting through. He looked up, dropped one nickel into my hand. After a moment of hesitation he dropped the other one into my hand. I gave him two cents change, dropping the first penny into his outstretched hand. When I dropped the other one, however, it bounced off his hand and onto the counter. I grabbed the receipt and handed it to him, but he still held out his hand, and I realized he still hadn't picked up the other penny. I picked up the penny and put it in his hand and he said, "It's called learning to be civil." After he walked out the door, I thought to myself, What a jerk. But then I began to think about it. Although he didn't have to be rude about it, I realized that a little reminder to be polite can't really hurt a person. I mean, remembering to hold a door open for someone, giving someone a compliment, those are things that make a difference. You might not even remember helping that person but later you might find out that it made all the difference for that person having a good day or a bad day. It's like that commercial where a man helps an older lady off a bus, and someone else sees it and then does something nice for someone else and someone else sees that and does something kind for someone else and so on and so forth- it can start a chain reaction. So even though it was a small comment and two small minutes out of my day, that comment made a difference. Don't just be civil, but be kind and mean it because it could really turn someone's day around.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
When I'm a Mom
Over the weekend I visited Lake Powell with my family and my mom's friends. On Sunday, my mom's friend drove the boat on the lake while her husband rode on waterskis off the back. The wind was getting really bad because of a storm that was coming, and my mom's friend wasn't that experienced in driving the boat, especially in such a strong wind.
Her husband insisted on skiing in the places where there were more rocks, and their cliff faces towered hundreds of feet above us. His wife was really nervous about driving with so many obstacles around her but she drove anyway. As her husband fell off the waterskis and we turned the boat around to go back and get him, the engine shut off.
We all looked around for a minute before realizing that the rope connected to the skiis was caught in the propellor. So we shut off the engine and untangled the rope. As we finished and started up the boat again, however, a sudden gust of wind blew and my mom's friend couldn't turn the wheel hard enough to get us away from a rock that jutted up out of the lake about five hundred feet into the sky. The front of the boat headed straight for the rock face, and everyone started screaming.
I, being at the front of the boat along with my mom's friend's four-year-old little girl, grabbed her as quickly as I could and headed to the middle of the boat. She clutched to me as tightly as she could as her mom took hold of the wheel and cranked it as hard as she could, missing the rock by mere inches.
Everyone started swearing and gasping in relief as we headed away from the boulder, leaving my mom's friend's husband to swim to the boat to avoid any more mishaps.
As everyone was calming down, I held the little girl as close as I could to me. No one seemed to notice how upset or frightened she was just yet. Tears were gathering in her eyes and I sat back down at the front of the boat, holding her on my lap. I put her head against my chest and whispered in her ear that everything was okay and that I loved her very much. She said softly that she loved me too, and I asked her if there were any songs she'd like me to sing. She nodded yes, but didn't volunteer one, so I began to sing "You Are My Sunshine" very softly in her ear, stroking her hair and holding her very close. After I was done singing it twice, I looked at her and saw that she looked very calm, and not one tear had fallen.
I can't even describe to you the fulfillment I felt in calming that little girl down and holding her close to me. I sang that song for a while after that, and even on the bumpy boat ride back to the shore, she almost fell asleep on my lap while listening to me hum it.
On the way back, I pointed out the different rocks and told her that they looked like cheese because of all the holes in them. She giggled and smiled and it was as if the incident of almost crashing had never happened.
Someday I want to be a mom. Even if I don't get the dream job I've always wanted or get to live where I really want, I want to be able to be called 'Mom' by my own child and take care of him/her because of how much love and joy I feel when I do it. How I am making a difference by being the best mom I can be.
As sappy and maternal as this all sounds, this is what I want to be. I want to be the fun, quirky, comforting, and caring mom. And once I find the perfect guy, I will make it my goal to be the best mom ever when I have kids.
Her husband insisted on skiing in the places where there were more rocks, and their cliff faces towered hundreds of feet above us. His wife was really nervous about driving with so many obstacles around her but she drove anyway. As her husband fell off the waterskis and we turned the boat around to go back and get him, the engine shut off.
We all looked around for a minute before realizing that the rope connected to the skiis was caught in the propellor. So we shut off the engine and untangled the rope. As we finished and started up the boat again, however, a sudden gust of wind blew and my mom's friend couldn't turn the wheel hard enough to get us away from a rock that jutted up out of the lake about five hundred feet into the sky. The front of the boat headed straight for the rock face, and everyone started screaming.
I, being at the front of the boat along with my mom's friend's four-year-old little girl, grabbed her as quickly as I could and headed to the middle of the boat. She clutched to me as tightly as she could as her mom took hold of the wheel and cranked it as hard as she could, missing the rock by mere inches.
Everyone started swearing and gasping in relief as we headed away from the boulder, leaving my mom's friend's husband to swim to the boat to avoid any more mishaps.
As everyone was calming down, I held the little girl as close as I could to me. No one seemed to notice how upset or frightened she was just yet. Tears were gathering in her eyes and I sat back down at the front of the boat, holding her on my lap. I put her head against my chest and whispered in her ear that everything was okay and that I loved her very much. She said softly that she loved me too, and I asked her if there were any songs she'd like me to sing. She nodded yes, but didn't volunteer one, so I began to sing "You Are My Sunshine" very softly in her ear, stroking her hair and holding her very close. After I was done singing it twice, I looked at her and saw that she looked very calm, and not one tear had fallen.
I can't even describe to you the fulfillment I felt in calming that little girl down and holding her close to me. I sang that song for a while after that, and even on the bumpy boat ride back to the shore, she almost fell asleep on my lap while listening to me hum it.
On the way back, I pointed out the different rocks and told her that they looked like cheese because of all the holes in them. She giggled and smiled and it was as if the incident of almost crashing had never happened.
Someday I want to be a mom. Even if I don't get the dream job I've always wanted or get to live where I really want, I want to be able to be called 'Mom' by my own child and take care of him/her because of how much love and joy I feel when I do it. How I am making a difference by being the best mom I can be.
As sappy and maternal as this all sounds, this is what I want to be. I want to be the fun, quirky, comforting, and caring mom. And once I find the perfect guy, I will make it my goal to be the best mom ever when I have kids.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Vampires
I watched an anime series the other night about vampires. It was about a girl whose family consisted of vampires. She, on the other hand, has a disorder where she has massive nosebleeds, and she injects the blood into her victims before she has the bleedouts. Her blood multiplies and she is constantly embarrassed because of her disorder. She meets a human boy who, for some strange reason, causes her blood to multiply twice as fast as it usually does. They end up becoming friends, but she has many nosebleeds in front of him. Eventually, she starts liking this boy, but she cannot tell him her secret or her family will kill him. It is an interesting story and it led to me thinking about a reversal in roles where there is a couple, one of them hunting vampires for a living and the other being a vampire.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Reading The Grapes of Wrath
Since reading the book, The Grapes of Wrath, I've thought about what it would have been like if I had lived in that time period. How would I have survived as an immigrant back then, and how would it have affected my family? The imagery of the book is very beautiful, and I think being a person living in those hard times with no food or money would give me so many reasons to keep going. The immigrants were despised back then, and even though the work that was given barely paid anything at all, they would do it in order to feed their children. It's admirable and such a touching story. But then I think, What if I didn't have family with me? What if there were people who would give up instead of being determined enough to survive?
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