This is a narrative paper written about a life impacting childhood experience with my mom.
Christina Arcidiacono
English 104
September 2011
Just Like You.
The morning in my house always started off the same. I would wake up and watch cartoons in my parent’s room with my brother until breakfast was ready. My mom was making me my favorite breakfast, EGGO cinnamon waffles. She didn’t make them often because I would always use so much syrup and butter. Therefore, it was a special treat this morning, what more could a four year old ask for?
My mom came to her room to find my brother and I nestled under the flower patterned sheets watching T.V., “Come and eat before it gets cold guys!” I was acting very nonchalant about it, but inside I was so excited for my favorite breakfast, I felt like I could jump out of my skin! In my head I thought about how no one could make a breakfast just like my Mommy. My brother and I sat down to eat. We noticed a big pile of waffles on a white plate sitting in the middle of our wooden, brown dining room table. He smirked at me, we were both thinking the same thoughts, ‘she’s never made this many before!’ and ‘I’m going to try to get the first one!’ Before we could stick our forks out and claim our feast, my mom came over to us. She said, “I didn’t want to just leave a few left over in the box, so I cooked them all, try to eat them so that they do not go to waste.” Was she kidding? We had the appetites of two hyenas and we would have no problem devouring that stack of waffles! Little did I know, our eyes were a little bigger than our stomachs.
The white plate that originally housed our stack of waffles in the middle of the table was now empty. Though, the HERCULES themed plates my brother and I had were overflowing with waffles, along with quite a bit of butter and syrup. About half of each of our helpings went down pretty fast. However, it was when we hit that half way point that we started feeling like we were going to burst. Since it was my favorite breakfast and I knew it might be a little while before I had it again, I wanted to try to finish. My brother on the other hand, he called it quits. He sat there with me for a few minutes longer as I tried to finish. Though, I just couldn’t do it anymore either. I ended up calling it quits with one and a half waffles and what looked like a cup of syrup on my plate.
My mom just finished doing her hair when she came in the kitchen to check up on us. She saw that we both left a lot on our plates. She came over and sat across the table from my brother and I. She seemed a little upset, but I didn’t know why. Was it because we didn’t finish? It wasn’t our fault, that was a lot of food she gave us, more than usual! Here came the explanation, “Why did you guys take so much if you didn’t think that you could finish it?”
I felt really bad, I didn’t like making my mom upset. I was always trying to make her proud of me. I constantly tried doing things just like her and helping her as much as I could because I knew it made her smile.
“Well I was just so hungry and when I saw all the waffles I thought I could eat them all, Mommy,” I said, and my brother agreed. “But now you have leftovers on your plate that we can’t even save because they’re soaked in syrup,” she said back. I didn’t understand what the big deal was, I could just have something else for breakfast tomorrow, and that would be okay. “We can throw them away and just have cereal tomorrow Mommy,” I said to her. I thought that by saying this it would settle the mood and be a resolution to the problem at hand.
“I know we can do that sweetie, but that’s not the point. What makes me upset is that we tend to throw away food in this house too much, and in other places in the world kids like you don’t even know if they’ll have enough food for every meal,” my mom explained. “So what should we do then Mommy?” we both asked my mom. “Next time, try to take one serving at a time, and if you are still hungry after, then you can get more. Although, if you are not still hungry, we can then save what is leftover so that way it does not go to waste,” she answered.
This seemed like a good idea, but at such a young age it was such a hard concept to wrap my mind around. How could anyone not have enough food for every meal? I just didn’t understand that at all. Though, if my mom said so, I believed her, and I wanted to do anything that I could to help. I even ended up asking my mom if we could send our leftovers to the kids! Obviously, she showed me other ways that we could help out others in need. She started showing us how we could donate money and food to local shelters and conserve food in our own home. Through the years, my mom also taught me how those who are less fortunate are not only in need of food, but clothes and even gifts on the holidays too. At the end of every year we would go through our clothes and donate them to ‘Big Brother, Big Sister’ or the Veteran’s Association. We also started donating gifts during the holiday season through our church.
It’s hard to believe that I still remember that particular morning when my mom made those EGGO cinnamon waffles and my brother and I wasted the leftovers. Though, that morning helped shape the person I am today. Now, I am able to help out the less fortunate on my own. I continue to go through my clothes every year to donate them to the same organizations. Also, I work at a local preschool providing after school care, and every year we donate to a charity. Last year we donated toys to the children’s hospital. It’s such a great feeling when you help out those in need. The feeling that one gets from doing so is such a great and indescribable sense of selflessness. You really feel accomplished and you also learn to take nothing in life for granted.
I’ve come such a long way from being a clueless and selfish four year old, to becoming a selfless and thoughtful 18 year old young woman. I am so proud of whom I am, and have yet to become. My mom has taught me so much and I have inherited many morals and values from her. She has taught me that nothing in life comes easy, you must set goals, and work to reach them. You must never take anything for granted, and always help out those who may not be as fortunate. My mom has also shown me to never judge anyone until you know them, because you never know the story that they may have. My mother is an amazing woman that has taught me so much, I can only hope to be half the woman she is someday.
English 104
September 2011
Just Like You.
The morning in my house always started off the same. I would wake up and watch cartoons in my parent’s room with my brother until breakfast was ready. My mom was making me my favorite breakfast, EGGO cinnamon waffles. She didn’t make them often because I would always use so much syrup and butter. Therefore, it was a special treat this morning, what more could a four year old ask for?
My mom came to her room to find my brother and I nestled under the flower patterned sheets watching T.V., “Come and eat before it gets cold guys!” I was acting very nonchalant about it, but inside I was so excited for my favorite breakfast, I felt like I could jump out of my skin! In my head I thought about how no one could make a breakfast just like my Mommy. My brother and I sat down to eat. We noticed a big pile of waffles on a white plate sitting in the middle of our wooden, brown dining room table. He smirked at me, we were both thinking the same thoughts, ‘she’s never made this many before!’ and ‘I’m going to try to get the first one!’ Before we could stick our forks out and claim our feast, my mom came over to us. She said, “I didn’t want to just leave a few left over in the box, so I cooked them all, try to eat them so that they do not go to waste.” Was she kidding? We had the appetites of two hyenas and we would have no problem devouring that stack of waffles! Little did I know, our eyes were a little bigger than our stomachs.
The white plate that originally housed our stack of waffles in the middle of the table was now empty. Though, the HERCULES themed plates my brother and I had were overflowing with waffles, along with quite a bit of butter and syrup. About half of each of our helpings went down pretty fast. However, it was when we hit that half way point that we started feeling like we were going to burst. Since it was my favorite breakfast and I knew it might be a little while before I had it again, I wanted to try to finish. My brother on the other hand, he called it quits. He sat there with me for a few minutes longer as I tried to finish. Though, I just couldn’t do it anymore either. I ended up calling it quits with one and a half waffles and what looked like a cup of syrup on my plate.
My mom just finished doing her hair when she came in the kitchen to check up on us. She saw that we both left a lot on our plates. She came over and sat across the table from my brother and I. She seemed a little upset, but I didn’t know why. Was it because we didn’t finish? It wasn’t our fault, that was a lot of food she gave us, more than usual! Here came the explanation, “Why did you guys take so much if you didn’t think that you could finish it?”
I felt really bad, I didn’t like making my mom upset. I was always trying to make her proud of me. I constantly tried doing things just like her and helping her as much as I could because I knew it made her smile.
“Well I was just so hungry and when I saw all the waffles I thought I could eat them all, Mommy,” I said, and my brother agreed. “But now you have leftovers on your plate that we can’t even save because they’re soaked in syrup,” she said back. I didn’t understand what the big deal was, I could just have something else for breakfast tomorrow, and that would be okay. “We can throw them away and just have cereal tomorrow Mommy,” I said to her. I thought that by saying this it would settle the mood and be a resolution to the problem at hand.
“I know we can do that sweetie, but that’s not the point. What makes me upset is that we tend to throw away food in this house too much, and in other places in the world kids like you don’t even know if they’ll have enough food for every meal,” my mom explained. “So what should we do then Mommy?” we both asked my mom. “Next time, try to take one serving at a time, and if you are still hungry after, then you can get more. Although, if you are not still hungry, we can then save what is leftover so that way it does not go to waste,” she answered.
This seemed like a good idea, but at such a young age it was such a hard concept to wrap my mind around. How could anyone not have enough food for every meal? I just didn’t understand that at all. Though, if my mom said so, I believed her, and I wanted to do anything that I could to help. I even ended up asking my mom if we could send our leftovers to the kids! Obviously, she showed me other ways that we could help out others in need. She started showing us how we could donate money and food to local shelters and conserve food in our own home. Through the years, my mom also taught me how those who are less fortunate are not only in need of food, but clothes and even gifts on the holidays too. At the end of every year we would go through our clothes and donate them to ‘Big Brother, Big Sister’ or the Veteran’s Association. We also started donating gifts during the holiday season through our church.
It’s hard to believe that I still remember that particular morning when my mom made those EGGO cinnamon waffles and my brother and I wasted the leftovers. Though, that morning helped shape the person I am today. Now, I am able to help out the less fortunate on my own. I continue to go through my clothes every year to donate them to the same organizations. Also, I work at a local preschool providing after school care, and every year we donate to a charity. Last year we donated toys to the children’s hospital. It’s such a great feeling when you help out those in need. The feeling that one gets from doing so is such a great and indescribable sense of selflessness. You really feel accomplished and you also learn to take nothing in life for granted.
I’ve come such a long way from being a clueless and selfish four year old, to becoming a selfless and thoughtful 18 year old young woman. I am so proud of whom I am, and have yet to become. My mom has taught me so much and I have inherited many morals and values from her. She has taught me that nothing in life comes easy, you must set goals, and work to reach them. You must never take anything for granted, and always help out those who may not be as fortunate. My mom has also shown me to never judge anyone until you know them, because you never know the story that they may have. My mother is an amazing woman that has taught me so much, I can only hope to be half the woman she is someday.