Advance Essay #1: Family Values
Introduction: The most important thing in this essay is valuing the loved ones we still have. Family matters so much to me and I felt proud to write this. It really is a blessing to have family join together. I would like to improve my use of metaphors in this essay next time. When reading this, I want the audience to understand that people leave our lives everyday, we should cherish every moment.
It seems likes family gatherings are so rare lately. We used to come together and party about everything. Whoever was in the kitchen would bless our plates with so much food. So much fried chicken, potato salad, ribs, hot dogs, barbecue and all. We knew better not to eat before the children. I was lucky to be young. These days were golden like my corn on the cob. It was all about the favorite cousin coming over, that’s when the real party started.
“Y’all wanna walk to the corner store real quick?” my cousin yelled.
That’s all I needed to hear. Water ice for everyone, I licked the water ice that began to melt and the sweet food coloring stained into my lips. No matter what street we ran up, it was always a race. My family is full of track stars, so athletic. Summer heat never stopped us from playing games on the patio.
“Take out the playing cards, who wants war in speed?” my mom yelled.
We all know my mom was best at card games but my cousin stood tall and took the challenge. Steady eyes watched the intense game of speed. The game seemed to move so quickly, in fact I never even caught on. Cards slapped against the table and sly comments slipped into the wind. Finally the silence broke, the game was easily won by my mother. We all cheered and made jokes about my cousin. The defeat was in the air, we could all smell. It was times like these, where I would take a small step back and observe my family. Some of us all look alike, so many generations all in one area. It had been so long since we all gathered at one home. My family has been so close yet so far away from each other, it was not everyday that so many of us could join the fun. From sunrise to sunset, I had to wake up really early, my mom pulls me out of the bed and to the kitchen. So many different smells of sweets, spicy, and mild hit my nose. I love food but not when I have to cook for my relatives. It is the fun and conversation that I had, it made my day go by so much faster. My family brought baby pictures and colored t-shirts to the party. Love floated through the air like a lost balloon. We knew the routine, the street lights coming on and the sun going down didn’t stop the party. The smell of grilled chicken and fried chicken still filled the air. Endless games of tag, manhunt, and double-dutch was the ultimate entertainment. My family grew together as a competitive bunch. There was no loss allowed or you had the walk of shame back into the house. I always won in Monopoly games. Being around my favorite cousins always gives me confidence, we danced together. The cookout anthems played, and our hips swayed. I always felt comfortable. There was no wrong way to two-step, just my mother had no co-ordernation. The grown folks had there ‘grown folk’ talk, I wasn’t allowed to know. I envied my second and third cousins who got in on the gossip. I know they felt special, all deep into the family business. I never worried too much about what I was missing out on, my cool aunt came over to tell me all the gossip. It’s always nice to have that one cool aunt.
“Do not tell a soul, it’s our secret. Grown folks business is not much of anything, a few inappropriate jokes here and there. Do not rush to grow up, Tyah. Cherish everything you have, cherish your family. We are all we got out here in the crazy world.” my aunt whispered in my ear.
In the moment, I did not understand why she whispered that to me, I was only thirteen. I sat down on the patio and wondered about what my future family would be like. Immediately I ignored those thoughts, I told myself to think about my life in that moment. I appreciated the priveleges I have as a pre-teen. I was grateful. I busied myself with preparing my bed for a sleepover, my cousins never went home on family nights, It was best we spent the most time with each other. My mother always concluded these nights with a little saying, it always stuck with me.
“Say goodnight to everybody, hug them too. You never know the last time you’ll see any
of them.” and like that she closed the bedroom door and we slept. My last thought before falling asleep, I asked myself if we would all be able to keep coming together like this.
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