Essay On Literacy Narrative History: Treasure Box Makes Princess

Jacklyn F. Tan
Literacy Narrative History: Treasure Box Makes Princess!
Predominantly, reading can be very exasperating, especially on a long, difficult and humdrum writing. Obviously, I am not an exceptional case. However, outrageously my subconscious is always telling me that reading is very amusing. I come from a unique family; my father is a typical Asian-Chinese from Malaysia while my mother’s origin of Chinese and Portuguese ancestry. Apparently, my parents have the extremely different living habits because of their cultures. Example: My mother is preferred to say a prayer before dinner. While my father and his family will just tuck in on the dinner table. Despite the difference of their cultures, I am glad that they have the same goal on nurturing me. This is a rare case, my parents taught me about their beliefs at my age of three. “Nothing is impossible; you just have to do your best instead of trying! You are little giant of yourself! And you have to work-hard in order to succeed!” These are

both of my parents’ famous lines and they have strongly nailed inside me until now; I was too young that time, I did not understand the meanings until these events took place.
Recall of this incident when I was three years old: In a fine afternoon, I was having fun with my little cousin at the park. We enjoyed chasing around, slide, swing and climbing. All of a sudden, I was falling from the monkey climber. Today I can still clearly remember it was a great pain on my knees, but I was leave on the ground by mother. At that time, she did not pick me up; she was just relaxing and walking to me with a series of questions.
“Are you okay?”
I answered: “I am hurt!”
All I did was sitting on the ground and tearing. The next thing I heard, “Baby, you fell down and I know is hurt. But you have to stand up by yourself!” This was unbelievable; she gave me a warm smile after! I felt upset and embarrassed at the same time, it seemed like the whole world was staring and snickering at me. No second thought, my instinct was telling stand up or buffoon; the next is I was feeling invincible and stood up myself. Even though I felt bad at that time; but as of today, I look at it on a different perspective, I actually considered myself very fortunate to have such a learning experience at the young age.
Besides that, my first reading experience was the most phenomenal event that influence me on my learning life. Recall of this: It was a random summer morning, sunshine; I woke up as usual and I had cereal after wash up. A typical three years old kid, I asked for candy after I finished my cereal. This time was different; my mother was actually having a gift for me. It was a very beautiful box with the colorful tulip flower wrapper; I was too tiny and the gift was gigantic for a three-year-old kid. Undoubtedly, it made me feel so special and I know it must be a special day. At that time, I was too naive and asked:” Mummy is Christmas comes early, that’s why I have a present?” As usual, my mother gave a smile and said:” No, sweetie! This is the present from mummy and daddy. We want you to become a beautiful princess that is why we give you this!” I was astonished and barely spoke. Yet, this silence was only last for a second.
“Mummy, I can be a princess, really?”
“Yes, baby. This is the reason why we give you this to you, and it will show you.”
I was impatient and I wanted to open my treasure box so badly at that moment. However, all my mother did was just to stop me and told to me slowly: “Baby, you need to learn how to be patience with everything. Learn how to have a beautiful heart. Princess is so beautiful because she has a beautiful heart and she knows a lot of things!” At that time, I did not fully understand my mother’s words but all I knew was to open my present and I believed it was going to make me a princess. As her expectation, my response was quick and I agreed to her with a cheeky smile and nob. Finally, my mother allowed me to open my present. Indeed, it was full of surprises; it was a treasure box. It was the treasure box; the same one in the castle of the cartoon I watched. As soon as I opened treasure box, there was a colorful alphabet poster, animal numbering poster, storybooks, power rangers’ pencils, a huge box of color pencils, drawing book, “Snow White” writing book and a Barbie princess. I was thrill, all I did was just to hug my treasure box and said thank you to my mother. Then, she allowed me to keep my treasure box in bedroom, but she reminded me to keep it properly and promised to spend one-hour time with her every day; this was also a public announcement official that no more “Toy Time” in the afternoon for me. Perhaps I was too fascinating on the princess moment and my treasure box, therefore I have completely agreed with her. This was a different afternoon, my “Toy Time” have completely replaced with the learning hour. Honestly, I was feeling special and delighted at this very first learning moment, part of it was because of the fancy ABC’s alphabet poster. Yet, the most rewarding part was the delicious “Baskin Robin” strawberry shortcake ice-cream with gummy bear topping after my one hour repetition of ABC and jumping around in the living room. Ever since then, I always had my one-hour learning time with different rewards.
Anyway, my learning journey was not always pleasant and I can never forget this particular incident ever. There was one fine afternoon; I refused to do writing in my learning time. I threw a tantrum and cried aloud; I wanted my “Thomas Train” so badly.
Baby, you don’t want your treasure box anymore, right? Is that also meant that you don’t want to be a princess too?” Unexpectedly, my mother was telling me these.
These words was extremely hurtful to me; it just as if someone was trying to destroy my Barbie Princess and treasure box; This was unacceptable and made me upset.
“If this is what you want, I am going to take your treasure box away. And you have can your “Toy Time!” again!” She smiled to me and pointing at my “thinking chair” after.
Usually when I did something wrong or being stubborn, then my mother will make me sit on my “thinking chair” to figure out my decision. This was too harsh to me, I sat there with my little teary face, and this time took me very long to get an answer. An hour passed, I was still unable to answer her. Unexpectedly, this was the first time my father stepped in for my “Princess Learning Time”. He was looking at me and he said these to me.
“Baby, I know you want to be a princess? But to be a princess is not going to be easy, you know that?” I was puzzled and upset.
“Umm, yes! So I can’t have toy time anymore?”
“Baby, you can have toy time, but you just need to finish your princess learning time. You need to be patient and pay effort to it. Writing is going to be helpful for you. Look, if you cannot write, how are you going to communicate with the Prince? Imagine, one day you are far away from us? And you can write? Isn’t it important to know how to write? ”
I remembered still, I was not quite understand. However, my father was the hero figure to me, so I decided to listen to him. I asked my mother to continue writing my letter “G” right away and this was indirectly telling her that my agreement on “Princess Leaning Time” again. Nevertheless, that evening was a happy ending; my parents brought me out to MacDonald and praised me for being good.
“Baby, I am proud of you. Even though you don’t like writing so much, but you are still willing to work on it!”
My hero’s words always made me smile, I felt so empower. Of course, my mother would also never missed this precious opportunity to nurture me.
” Baby, I am a happy mother. You finished the writing and decided to continue the princess learning time. Mummy tells you nothing is impossible, but you just have to do your best. I know writing is hard, but you did your best and you get it done. Your handwriting is actually very beautiful; you made it. I love you.”
She gave a hug right after her words. Despite dilemma in afternoon, the day was still great. Honestly, this was the first time that I learnt about keeping the promise because I want parents to be happy and proud of me.
Time passed quickly, there was another important event made me a very different person in learning. Recall this incident on my third grade, reading and writing were so effortless because of my early learning development; I am a very confident kid in the class. Finally, there was English test; I thought I was going to do great. The most awkward thing was I told my best friend Yvonne that I was going to get an A for it. In addition, I also told her the test was not going to be too difficult and I preferred to spend time for cartoon in that evening.
“Jacklyn, we should study for that. If not we are not going to get an A.” This was what Yvonne said to me.
Despite Yvonne’s advice and my mother gentle reminder in that afternoon to study for my English test, I insisted my way of watching “Looney Tunes”. Predictable, my result was not as my expectation; I had a “B”. I felt very embarrassed and I did not want neither Yvonne nor my parents knew about it. On that day, I locked myself in the room for a long time; the feeling of the defeated was bothering me. Seriously, I have never felt like this ever before. In that evening, my parents were actually came to me and found out what happened.
“Mom, Daddy, I feel stupid and failure, I didn’t get an A for the exam.

I thought I am good at it.” I was very embarrassed but astonished at the same time because my parents were not upset with me at all.
“Nothing is impossible; you just have to do your best instead. Did you do your best for the test?” My mother said these to me.
Obviously, I did not do my best, so I shake my head and with an answer “No”. Followed by my father, he asked me did I work hard for it. Again, my answer was another “NO”.
“Jackie, you are a big girl now. However, don’t you remember that is nothing comes easy? Remember we told you when you were little, “Nothing is impossible, but you just have to do your best and work-hard. That is the only way you can be successful”.
These words banged into my head so hard and I realized I was wrong. I apologized, decided to do my best and work harder in school and tests. I thought my parents were awesome; they could have yelled me, instead encouraging

me.
“Everybody can a mistake, but we have to realize, admit and fix it. Nothing embarrassing, as long we don’t repeat it again, and then we will be fine.” Her words was definitely storming me! Certainly, this was a serious lesson for me to who I am today. Importantly, I had admit my fault, I told my best friend the truth that I did badly in the test, and I get a “B” because of not working hard.
In conclusion, those old memories are wonderful and they are definitely a good life lessons for me; I am grateful to become who I am today. I feel thankful and gratitude to my parents; no doubts my belief is still the same after so many years. I strongly believe that success is not a miracle but the effort. In addition, I also recognized that positive mindset is very important in learning; in my life I learnt how to deal, take the challenge and responsibility. Finally, I wanted to share with you again for my all-time favorites golden lines: “Nothing is impossible, you just have to do your best instead of trying! You are little giant of yourself! And you have to work-hard in order to succeed!”