“I have this idea!” My mom ran into my room where my cousin sat gossiping.
“What are you so excited about?” Kalyiah asked.
“Let’s go to Home Depot and make posters.”
It was finally May 30, the day of my high school graduation and being the first to graduate in my family my mom was super excited. At around 9:00am my mom ran into my room with this idea to create posters with my pictures on them to hold in the stands at the graduation ceremony.
“I waited 18 years for this day, Ja’Niaya how do you feel?” The entire way to Home Depot my mom talked on and on about how excited she was that her “baby” had made such big accomplishment. I was getting so annoyed with her loud voice I plugged in my headphones. When we arrived at our destination we walked over to the printing section and there were these big posters sitting up with pictures on them. In my mind I thought we should go with the smallest poster because every size was just too big to me.
“Can I have that one?” my mom was pointing at the biggest poster in front of us.
At that moment I walked away wondering the isles in the store. Once I walked back to the printing station I heard the store clerk say “We can’t have this ready until tomorrow ma’am.” It was like a dark cloud had showered over us.
“I’ll pay whatever, it doesn’t matter anything to have this ready by today.” The clerk called her manager, he was so nice and understanding that he made a way for us to have the poster ready that same day, with no extra charge.
***
“I’m just tired, it’s too much.” Siting at the kitchen table while doing my math homework I cried. I was feeling so overwhelmed with school. My mom was cooking dinner and even though I was sitting right in her face crying she ignored me.
“You can do whatever you put your mind to.” This was my mom’s favorite line whenever I complained about school. This day I had come home from taking an exam and had to turn a 5 page essay the next day. I just wanted to rest, but I knew if my mom found out I was doing anything but work I was in trouble. That night I stayed up until midnight writing an essay.
-
It was 2 hours before the graduation ceremony, my makeup appointment was in 30 minutes and I was in Mcdonalds line ordering food. My mom was calling my phone for the 5thtime within 10 minutes asking “Where are you?” “Everyone is here to see you?”
After getting my makeup done I rushed home to get dressed. When I pulled into the drive way there was so many car I was lost. My entire family drove into to town to attend my graduation.
***
“You’re making an example for your sister!” “You can’t be getting into to trouble”
During 4thperiod I got into an altercation with another student during class and we both had to spend 2 days in detention. My mom was so mad at me because just about every day she would express how important it is to always be at school so that I could learn everything I needed. Even though I was facing consequences at school, my mom made me spend an entire week with no entertainment, but books.
-
“Line up class of 2019!” It was that time, in 5 minutes graduation was about to start and we were lining up by last names. My heart was racing, this was supposed be an exciting moment for me, but I was nervous and scared.
While walking into the ceremony I heard someone yell my name so loud not only did I look, but my classmates as well. There in the stand was my family yelling and shouting for me. It took about 30 seconds for me to realize that everyone sitting around my mom was wearing the same shirts. My family was wearing t-shirts with my picture on them. Without me knowing my mom gathered my entire family and brought shirts to celebrate this big day for me. Every bad feeling I felt was gone and I was feeling the best I could ever remember myself feeling.
When I met my family outside everyone was all smiles. Hugs and even kisses filled the atmosphere, I felt so special. “My family was doing this for me!” so many thoughts ran through my head. Last comes my mom running yelling “woooooo!” she was so excited with tears in her eyes. On the way home she said to me “This is why I always pushed you so hard, for times like this. I always knew you could make it this far, I only want the best for you.”
It was then I started to appreciate the yelling from my mom, it was her way her way pushing me to be successful.
Comments