Tucked under the covers of my pony-themed bunk bed as my mom sang me “The Circle Game” (1970) by Joni Mitchell, I always thought the song meant that life becomes a little less magical with each passing year — once I grew up, I would eventually step off the carousel and be on my own. But I now know the carousel spins infinitely, and the only way to go is forward. There is no end to growing up, and Mom, you're still growing with me. My carousel is so colorful because you gave me a brush and taught me how to paint. Thank you for playing this circle game with me.
Sasha Emmerich (28C) is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina and is a psychology and art history double major. She is a lifelong artist and particularly enjoys landscape painting. In her free time she likes to do yoga, go to concerts, watch sit-coms, hike, and read. She loves teaching art to kids and hopes to one day travel to every national park in America.
