Five girls, one bathroom and an endless amount of hair products: that was my life for the first 18 years. While sharing one bathroom with four other girls who take hour-long showers sounds like a death sentence to most, there were benefits to this living situation that have shaped me to become who I am today.
The youngest, and probably most opinionated of the group, is my sister Cheyanne whom I have definitely had the most arguments and fights with (over things like stealing my clothes). Although her tendencies to stay up late and the fact that I can never find my favourite sweatshirts when she’s around annoys me, her presence in my life is very important. She is a go-getter and will attack any situation at hand with full force. Juggling a job, her insane high school average and a regular gym schedule, she is the definition of a girl boss at only 15 years old. My mother says she looks up to me and knowing this makes me proud.
The middle child and the sister closest in age to my own is Siera, who is probably one of the smartest people I know. She’s good at pretty much everything she does, whether it’s solving insanely confusing math problems or painting a life-like picture of a rose. She acts nonchalantly towards everything magnificent she accomplishes. I aspire to be like her in many ways, like how generous and kind she is towards everyone and everything.
My aunt also lives with me and has for the entirety of my life. While my mother worked during my childhood, my aunt was the caretaker for my sisters and I and has shaped me in more ways than I can count. Her creativity has influenced me to love all dimensions of arts and crafts and has brought me to create my own doll furniture and scrapbooks. Her creativity has sparked her to sell all sorts of things online, from t-shirts to blankets to jewelry and teddy bears. Her self-owned online business attributes to countless hours of hard work that has inspired me to see the outcome of dedicated work. She’s also influenced my love for Gilmore Girls and 90s music and willingly watches every Fast and Furious movie with me without question.
The biggest influence in my female-filled life is my mother, the woman who inspired me to do everything I have ever tried to achieve. She was a single-working mother all my life and raised three daughters who have their eyes on the prize of achieving everything they want in life. She taught me everything there is to know about money management, productivity and organizational skills that have set me on the right path to life. Most importantly, she supports my sisters and I in whatever we set out to achieve and never pressured us to be something we aren’t. My mother is the definition of a true “girl boss” and I am thankful to have grown up with such a strong female influence.
With a house that has an overflowing shoe rack, a plethora of hair straighteners and smells like Bath and Body Works candles, the feminine energy in my house has shaped me to become who I am today. I commend my independence and hardworking energy to the women in my life that have shown me how everything in life is possible if you’re willing to put in the work. I would not trade the household I grew up in for the world, even if I had to schedule times to shower and hide my favourite sweaters.