BUILDING SANDCASTLES
By Megan Villacorta

On November 24, 1989, I was born.  With every second my mother strained to push life out of her womb and into this world, she grew more certain that she was giving birth to the future.  My mother believed in me silently.

(Mother)

Hey beautiful… that’s right.  It’s me, your mama.  You know, I never planned on you, but you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.  If all my mistakes in life led up to this very moment, then I live with no regrets.  You want to know why? …because I know that one day, you are going to be someone great…

(Me)

Ever since my childhood, I always thought that everything would just fall into place.  I’ve listened to people tell me that I could be whatever I wanted; I could be a doctor, I could be a supermodel, I could be a fashion designer, a singer, an actor, even own my own chain of hair salons across the country, if I wanted.  Their lies comforted me while hiding their thoughts of how absurd they really thought my dreams were.

(Mother)

…just look at you.  My baby is going to change the world with her beauty, her talent, her intelligence, and especially her heart.  God has big plans for you baby, I can already tell...

(Me)

I am older and I believe you now, mom.  Your quiet faith pushed me to find my own way and understand that I have a choice.  I figured it out my freshman year when I realized that I could be a statistic cutting my way through years of staying in the 9th grade, or use this choice to build sandcastles.  And Your waves helped me to discover this power within me, the ability to mold my own destiny by taking action, taking what belongs to me – control over MY life.  And believing in myself now, all I see are open doors.  I see justification for my education, I see change born in blooms, I see the ripe fruits of my labor, and I see – myself, the future.