Friday, November 8, 2013

The Everlasting Power Of Respect



    As a child, I've always been told to be respectful. You could probably say that respect and obedience has been the main focus in my family. Whether it was saying "yes sir" or "yes ma'am", or just opening the doors for people, it was almost my job to be respectful. As you can probably tell, I believe that the power of respect and obedience brings success in life.

    For as long as I can remember, I've embraced the joy of being respectful to others. That's just the way I am. I remember when I first was recognized for my respectful nature. It was my sixth grade graduation and I received a medal for being the most respectful student and voted most likely to succeed in life. As a matter of fact, I was chosen to give a speech on behalf on our sixth grade class.

    And now, four years later, I still use those awards as motivation. That atmosphere from that night still gets to me. That's the type of respect and motive that inspires me to get through life every single day.
   
    I feel as if you respect others, people will notice that and respect you. Like my dad always tell me, "respect brings a great reputation among your community." This quote is constantly rotating around my mind, reminding me to stay respectful.

    Nevertheless, I enjoy being respectful. Just because of that, I get nominated for certain rewards, such as the time I were nominated to receive $100 for being the most respectful kid in town two years ago. That type of feeling is just indescribable because of the way it makes me feel about myself. To me, respect is summed up in two words:  obedience and sympathy. Just in those two words, you have respect.

    I believe that someday, with my respect and obedience, I will someday change the lives of many people who's lives are going towards a path of destruction. Don't get me wrong, this task would not be easy, but the power of respect of respect gets you so far in life that I believe this is possible.

    As a young child living in my household, I was also taught that being obedient and respectful increases your life span. As you probably know, I want to live a long, inspiring life. Every time I find myself in a critical situation, I go to my father and he gives me one of these types of talks.

    Respect is an extremely powerful word and is essential to my life. With it, you can exceed expectations and become an outstanding successful person. All in all, respect is an underestimated key to my life that brings unlimited success and achievements.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:


  • 2 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup baking (powder) soda
  • 1 cup margarine
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs




Preparation:


Into a medium or large bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, margarine, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Mix this thoroughly and pour it onto the cookie sheet.

Grandma always found a way for me to do some type of work in the kitchen. Whether it was washing dishes, taking out materials, or mixing; I had something to do. Due to this, I have tried with all my agility to duck and dodge the kitchen. However, this was no ordinary day. This was my mother's thirty-fifth birthday.

As I was strolling by the living room, I heard Grandma singing "Praise is What I Do." I knew that she had to be thinking because that was the only time she listened to gospel music. Curious, I walked into the kitchen to ask her what she was thinking about.

"Grandma, what are you thinking about?"

"Oh hey A.J. I was just thinking about what would a great gift for your mom," she replied.

"What about your peanut butter cookies? Mama always nags me to death about how she craves to have those cookies like she did when she was a little girl."

I was so ecstatic that Grandma thought this idea was amazing. In fact, she immediately told me to start getting out the ingredients. After we mixed them, we put them on the cookie sheet. She loved cutting to the chase and had a creative  mind like when cutting the cookies into specific shapes.

After you get done cutting the cookies in your own style, place them in the oven for fifteen to twenty minutes. After they're done, let them sit our for ten minutes to cool off.

Papa was extremely fond of Grandma's cookies, which made it a bad idea to tell him. He would yell and say "Emma hurry up on them cookies so I can test them out!" Grandma and I would chuckle. He especially loved them when they were smooth. Trust me, he wasn't lying. They were as smooth as a baby's bottom. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to obtain them since they were sincerely for Mama.

During this process, I asked Grandma "How are we going to surprise Mama with these cookies?"

"Easily, since she's staying a night in Hughes, we put the cookies in her car and tell her to go to her car to get my comb."

How brilliant and clever she was! That idea was fantastic. I couldn't have done it better myself. However, painfully, I burned my hand taking the cookies out of the oven. I cried so bad it felt as if it felt as if neighbors had heard it! Luckily, Grandma put peroxide and bandages on me to make it all better.

How magnificent the aroma of the cookies was! Even her dog was intrigued by the smell. I could tell from all that barking and jumping up and down. After we had calmed her down, we wrapped up the cookies, drove to her house, and placed them in her car.

I called Mama and anxiously yelled "Mama! Look in your car for a surprise!" We watched from across the streetas tears had suddenly rolled down Mama's cheek. We appeared and gave her a hug.

"Thank you, son!" she cried. "This is the best gift ever!"

To this very day, Mama and I love reflecting on this event. She nearly cries over the recipe she craved for as a child.  This brings her back so many memories and we always share them.