by Leah Brainerd

There is a phrase, “buy a child a toy and they will only play with the box it comes in.” This phrase was perfect for my brother and me. On Christmas, we chose to sit together in the cardboard box that the toys came in, not playing with the shiny new toys that were given to us. Ignoring the expensive games and clothes all around us, bought with consideration and love in mind.

One year, my mother became smarter and actually bought us a cardboard house for Christmas. We thought it was the best gift ever. We would draw on the house, play family with my baby dolls, and even try and sleep in the house overnight so as to never leave the fun. Even as summer rolled around, we played in the cardboard house. My big brother and I dragged it to the side yard of our house and pretended we actually lived there. Even in the dead of summer, we stayed out there all day. Maybe we did just love playing in the cardboard house. Maybe our pretend house was better than the real house next to us. There were rules in the big house, like no running or screaming, and definitely no drawing on the walls. No hard times were had in the cardboard house, just playing with my brother and my baby dolls. The only real struggle in the pretend house was my brother not doing exactly as I said, but that was still an easier struggle than being quiet inside the real house. This cardboard two by four house was perfect for us and our pretend world that housed our loud screams, my bossy nature, and my brother trying to wrestle me every chance he got. He would overpower me because he was double my age and double my height and weight. We were happy in our little house.

As time passed, the cardboard house had to be thrown away from too much wear and tear. My brother started playing video games instead of playing outside, and I had dance recitals and competitions to practice for. Looking back, times will never be as good as they were in that little cardboard house, with no worries or responsibilities and nothing better to do than play house with my big brother.

      Leah is a Senior from Tulsa, OK graduating in May with a degree in Fashion Merchandising