“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Hairless barbies without their dresses didn’t hold much allure. As the youngest of four siblings, hand-me-downs were the norm. So, instead of toys, my games were mostly make-believe.
Chalking out a hop-scotch grid on the warm cement floor, I would expand it into new worlds to be conquered. Standing on the end of a see-saw, I would leap as it reached the highest point and pretend to be Superman soaring. Dodging barely-there traffic, I would play badminton on the gravel road over a non-existent net.
My imagination was vast, and for this, I am thankful.
Despite being a pudgy child whose favorite outfit was shorts and a cotton tee, they called me beautiful. Despite living in the shadows of my straight-A scoring sisters, they called me smart. Despite being slow off the mark, they called me athletic.
And because they said I was, I believed and I became. I am thankful to all the people who made me.
Now it’s my turn to help you believe. You can be more than you ever imagined, you can have the Midas touch. Together we will turn anything you believe into gold.
— Anusha Rajadorai