There have been many defining moments in my life that have impacted me in many different ways. A day in which I will never forget was my sixteenth birthday. I had passed my driver's test and was ready to go to the DMV to get my license. I had already been prepared that a car was most likely not in my future because it was not in my family’s budget during this time. It was a hard fact to accept because most of my friends had been receiving cars for their birthday, but I was ready to be mature about the situation.
I had my family birthday at my favorite pizza place, Slice, located on Magazine street. I love the artsy hustle and bustle atmosphere of Uptown. The night of my birthday dinner celebration, the smell of fresh baked dough and fresh tomato basil sauce wafted through the air. I sat down at the long table with all of my noisy relatives ready to celebrate. I was so excited to show everyone my very own license. They all joked that they needed to stay off the roads from now on, and I could not help but laugh along with everyone. When it was time to sing “Happy Birthday,” the waiter brought out a Whole Foods Chantilly cake, my most favorite cake. The cake was so delectable with creamy, sweet icing, and soft bread with fresh, juicy fruit on top. When blowing out the sparkling candles, I could not help but secretly wish for a car. A couple minutes after cutting the cake, my family was enjoying the delicious cake. All of a sudden, everyone got very quiet. I was very confused why everyone was looking at me, and I quickly checked to make sure I did not have cake on my face. My Uncle Dave began to say, “So, Annie, what do you want for your birthday?” I did not know what to say because everyone knew that I wanted a car, so I just tried to make a joke about it and said, “nothing much, just a Rolls Royce.” Everyone chuckled at my response. My Uncle Dave handed me the shiniest car key I had ever seen. My mind went blank and everything in Slice seemed to freeze as I sat there staring at the key. I could not believe my eyes. I had over 20 eyes staring at me, waiting for a reaction. I looked at my Uncle and said, “Is this for me?” and he said, “Why don’t you go outside?” I jumped up from my seat and ran the fastest I have ever run in my entire life. When I got outside, I did not see a familiar car. Without me realizing, my family had followed me to the street and pointed to my cousin Pat’s Nissan Xterra. In that moment, The silver Nissan Xterra seemed to be glowing, I even think I heard music playing in the background during that heavenly moment. I opened the door and it smelled like a brand new car, even though it had been used by four of my cousins before me. My mom told me that I could drive the car home! I could not believe my ears! I put the shiny key into the ignition and heard the rumbling purr of the engine start up. I thought to myself, “Wow, I could get used to this sound.” I drove all the way home with the windows down, wind in my hair, and my favorite songs blasting through the speakers.
Since then, I have driven my car almost everyday of my life, except for the time I broke my foot and was not able to drive, but that is another story. Having my car has definitely shown me what freedom really looks like, but it has also been a wake up call to newfound responsibilities. I love being able to drive anywhere with my friends at a moment’s notice. I will never have to utter the words, “ my mom can bring if yours can pick up,” ever again. My mom expects me to pay for my gas most of the time but she is very generous and lenient about that particular issue. My Uncle Dave is a very kind man, and he had agreed to pay for my insurance. Receiving this car has shown me just how much my family cares about me. I know that buying material gifts does not show true love, but they did everything in their power to make sure I had a memorable birthday, and I am forever grateful for that. All in all, I will never forget the joyous day that I received my car, and I will forever be so thankful and blessed to have such a generous, caring family.