During the breaks in school, I come home to live with my family. Which includes my two young nieces. So, for this week, I decided to interview them not only because we are all dying of boredom, but as an examination of the state of the future generation.
Xochitl or Xochi as we call her was the first to participate in the interview. Xochi is seven, we see her as a social butterfly. She is sparkles and princesses. She is playing with her dolls and believing in unicorns.
“Xochi what is your happiest memory?”
“The blankie that my Daddy gave me when I was a baby.”
“That’s your happiest memory?”
“That’s the only memory.” In hindsight, I wonder if she knew what the word memory meant. But I was trying very hard not to influence her answers in any way.
“Why do you like being a kid?”
“It’s fun!”
“One word to describe you would be?”
“… I like burgers!” She said after thinking about it.
“If you could be any animal what would you be and why?”
“Elephant!”
“Why?”
“Uh that’s cause the elephant is my aunts’ favorite animal”
“Awe you’re sweet. What do you think you will be doing in ten years from now? Remember you will be seventeen.”
“You won’t even be an adult yet.” calls her sister from the background.
“Playing in the bathtub!” Yes, in ten years my niece sees herself playing in the bathtub…
“Okay..” I can’t really even argue with her, I mean she might be.
Now it’s her sister’s turn. Makayla. Makayla is nine, she is the tomboy. She is headstrong and full of energy. She lives for anything lion related, and she has a gentle soul.
“What’s your happiest memory?”
“Buying the cats.” My brother and his wife adopted two kittens for the girls, who live mostly in their room.
“Okay. Why do you like being a kid?”
“Cause I get to do fun stuff and I don’t have to pay bills.”
“That’s a good one,” I said chuckling. “One word to describe you would be?”
“Brave.”
“What advice would you give your parents?”
“Um, no more timeouts. Timeouts are bad.” I laughed at this, this child is the first one to get in trouble at every turn. She reminds me a lot of myself.
Every child is uniquely themselves. Each girl has her own hopes and dreams and I hope in many years I can look back at this interview and laugh and cry.