“If you believe you will achieve.”  - The Conductor

This famous quote is from the Christmas movie, The Polar Express. My grandmother and I would watch it together every year before Christmas. We would sit around the warm fireplace and drink hot chocolate. Grandma would turn the volume up, so I could hear what the conductor was saying. When he whispered it, I would make a wish and hope it would come true. All I had to do was believe.

The day my parents said yes, was one of the happiest days of my life. I started jumping around and waving my hands; I had a huge smile on my face. I immediately grabbed my red and white polka dotted Minnie mouse suitcase. I  was stumbling and trying to keep my balance all at the same time. My oldest brother, Shane, stood at the top of the stairs, waiting for the suitcase so he could pack it with clothes. As he was packing it, my parents walked in and they said that we were not leaving. I thought to myself, why would you say yes then?

By now you are probably wondering what they said yes to. Well, I always believe I would go to Disney Land. I would meet my favorite princesses. The next couple of days were boring, but we left on Saturday.my dreams came true!

We arrived Sunday morning. We paid our admission and headed on in. in the distance, there was the blue and white princess castle. I heard faint conversations and laughing. The warm embrace of my mother’s hand felt like a silk ribbon running through your palm. I had a really good time. And I am thankful for believing.

It was a cold November morning and I woke up to the sound of beeping going off in the kitchen. I rushed in there to find smoke coming from a pancake that looked like coal it was so black. My oldest dog, learoy, rushed in with my brother. “I’m so sorry! Please don’t tell mom and dad!” he begged.

“Just fix it and turn the alarm off! It woke me up.” I yelled over the beeping.    

“Thanks a lot!”

I walked out of the kitchen and went back to my room. Learoy followed me to the stereo set and then he trotted away and jumped on my bed. I was so surprised on how high he could jump considering how small he was. A couple of hours later, while sitting on the couch, learoy came up and tried to jump up on the couch but didn’t quite make it. He fell off and broke his legs. But he got better after a couple of months.

My father is a good man. He did not deserve to get hurt and be in pain. My mother and father got into an argument. They eventually filed the divorce files and it was bad for both of them. I was eight at the time but still knew what was happening. “Maybe you should leave then! Better yet I will!” she yelled. Her face was a tomato.
“No! Please I messed up! Ill fix it I promise!” he pleaded. He was truly sorry. You could tell by the way his face looked.

“It’s too late. Call me if its fixed.” She said these words in a calm voice.

I sat and prayed for her to come back. I wished and hoped she would. The next week, I heard her voice. She was back. I thought did he fix it? I learned taking a break is the best thing to do.my parents took a break, but joined back together again and are still together.

“Believe. And dreams will come true. You need to have faith in yourself and the important people in your life; whether it is your best friend or me, just believe!”

Grandma told me this after the movie was over. She had warm brown eyes just like the hot chocolate I was drinking. She looked at me as if she saw my future and smiled.

‘Do you hear me girl? You NEED to believe to get through life.” Grandmas’ face lowered and her face went blank.
“Yes, mammaw.”