The Summer of Yes

by Courtney Walsh

“The world is going to tell you all kinds of things about yourself. You’re not good enough or smart enough or strong enough or thin enough or rich enough or talented enough. They’ll come up with a million reasons you can’t do the thing you want to do. The thing you were born to do.” She takes a sip of water and looks at me. “They’ll tell you, ‘No, Kelsey.’ Or ‘Not at this time, Kelsey.’ Or my favorite, ‘Not good enough, Kelsey.’” I’m tearing up thinking that I’m not doing the thing I was born to do. I’m tearing up at all the no’s. I’m tearing up because I know Georgina is right. “So what do I do?” She sets her glass back down on the tray, picks up the warm, wet cloth, and wipes off her hands. And then, very pointedly, she looks at me. “You look them in the eye and tell them yes.”