1. Celebrate Being You
By: Christina Jeter
This story is dedicated to the legends of NOLA history. The
sensation of an embrace you get when entering the bayou of the
Crescent City! I hope by introducing the people of this story to you
at a young age, you will read the literature about them as you get
older This is a celebration of the diversity of the world and how it
helps us thrive, in doing so, it should always be celebrate and never
depreciated!!
2. New Orleans, Louisiana, French Quarter is the home to Marie
Laveau. Marie is a sweet young girl, learning the way of the world.
Always doing what her mother and grandmother tell her but yet
interested in understanding her own ideas. She talks to her mother
and grandmother about her ideas and ask them how she can make
them come true!
3. Maria’s mother and grandmother listen to her ideas of wanting to
help people be who they are without being bullied, but is afraid to do
so, as she is just a child and not strong like an adult. The
grandmother says, “Strength is not just in body size, it is in the
mind!” The mother says, “I will always be here to help you, until you
are strong enough to do it yourself.”
4. Now that Maria knows she has the support in doing what is right, she
sets out to help others with their ideas. She goes out to walk in the
French Quarter and meets Andre Cailloux. Andre is a sweet, loving,
carefree boy who has a lot of great ideas too. He tells Marie, “I want
to protect those who can’t protect themselves and make sure that
people all over the world remember my name!”
5. Andre is just a child and small in size. Marie asks, “How will you
protect others if you are not yet strong enough to protect yourself?”
Andre replies, “Since I have not finished becoming a man. I will make
sure I tell my mom and dad about bad people, so they can make sure
that the bad person can’t hurt anyone anymore. I will read and learn
as much as possible about heroes I want to become. So in the
process of me becoming the person I want to be, I will know I am on
the right path to living out my dreams!”
6. Marie Laveau and Andre Cailloux share stories of their family. They
don’t make each other feel bad about not having the same things at
home, instead they understand that they are different and enjoy
being friends with one another. Marie and Andre decide to go find
more people to share their new found friendship and ideas.
7. While heading to the bayou they see a young boy by the name of
Jules Lion. Jules is very creative and artistic, he loves to paint and
draw. Marie and Andre ask him, why this makes him so happy? Jules
says, “Because I love to capture the happiness in life and one day I
am going to invent a machine that does it for me.”
8. Jules tells Marie and Andre, that sometimes people make fun of him
because he is not playing sports and they say that he is weak. “I
keep to myself because I am afraid that people will hurt me for being
different”. Marie says, “Being different is the greatest thing in the
world because you will help others out there know they are not
alone!”
9.
10. Andre tells Jules that drawing and painting is a sport, because you
have to develop a plan to win and you need the best on your team to
be strong. So can I and Marie be on your team and together you can
paint the story of how we all came to know each other and the great
things we will do together.
11. Jules begins to draw and paint images of his new friends and they
talk about how they want to be remembered and how these images
will be used to tell the story to others just like them that they can’t
meet in person.
12. When Jules is finished creating his artwork, he, Andre and Marie
decided to go find someone to show his artwork to. They head back
to Marie’s house and on the way they run into a girl name Jane. Jane
looks very sad and lonely. Marie asks, “Why are you so sad?” Jane
says, “Because I don’t have any family and people make me feel bad
for not having a home.” Andre says, “Would you like to be a part of
our family?”
13. Jane smiles and says,” Of course!” Then Jules begins to draw a
portrait of the smile his new friend Jane has on her face. Together
Marie, Andre, Jules and Jane will spread the message of happiness,
hope, kindness, and love to make the world a better place.
14. Now back at Marie’s house, Marie introduces her new friends to her
mother and grandmother. She talks of the great things they each can
do and how it has helped her and will help others.
15. Marie’s mother and grandmother celebrate their greatness and
encourage them to never give up on their dreams. Then Andre tells
his friends that he would like his new friends to meet his parents as
well, so they leave Marie’s house and goes to Andre’s home.
16. While walking to the home of Andre Cailloux they came across a boy
name Lafcadio Hearn. Jane asks him why he looks so sad. Lafcadio
says,” Because the people I have trusted have used what I have told
them in secret to hurt me.” Jane tells Lafcadio, “I understand seeing
how I didn’t have a family till I meet Marie Laveau, Andre Cailloux,
and Jules Lion. I know how it feels to trust some who is supposed to
help you but only hurts you.”
17. Marie says, “We are heading to Andre Cailloux’s home to tell his
parent about the day we had and the people we met. We just came
from my house, so when we get to Andre’s home we can tell his
parents about your problem and they will help you because a good
parent knows best and does their best to protect you.”
18. When they arrive to Andre’s home, Andre introduces everyone to his
mother and father.
19. The day is getting late and the sun is starting to set. Andre’s father
Gabriel Prosser is a big man, his mother is tall and beautiful, and
they both have nice smiles. That is a trait we can all see Andre
Cailloux inherited. Andre’s parents don’t want us walking home at
night, so we all walk home together and we talk along the way to
keep busy.
20. Since Jane didn’t have a home she got to live with Marie Laveau.
Lafcadio told Andre’s parent about his problem and they told him that
now he has real friends that won’t use his secrets to make him feel
bad, but to help him be better, and to never hang out with people that
don’t treat you nice.
21. Jules Lion was greeted at the door by his family and he rushed to
show them all his artwork he created inspired by his new friends he
made today. Now that everyone was safe at home, Andre walked
hand and hand with his mother and father. Andre told his parents that
I am happy I made a positive change today in someone’s life and in
return I got the greatest reward, “A smile!”
23. This book is dedicated to my father Donald L. Jeter, who sacrificed
so much in order for me to survive in this world. If and when I ever
have children I will make sure I am their best friend, so they don’t
have to search the world for what they should be getting at home!
