MILWAUKEE — On a sun-kissed day, 7-year-old Tameria Legister is brought to tears outside her lemonade stand.
Overcome with emotions because her teacher showed up.
Perhaps that moment of hugging was sweeter than Tameria's lemonade.
She and her mom make it the old-fashioned way.
"We actually squeeze the lemons. We get down!" her mom said.
Tameria first told mom she wanted a lemonade stand when she was four.
Takela Legister recalls, "She was like, 'hey ma, remember when you said I could get a lemonade stand?' I was like sure."
Tameria enjoys her entrepreneurial venture.
She notes, "It feels good. I make money and see my loved ones."
Her stand satisfies customers with homemade citrus drinks: Strawberry, raspberry, and classic lemonade.
What makes Tameria's lemonade special?
Tameria says, "My mom helps me, and it's made with love. I like to make people happy and quench their thirst."
Takela explains, "She doesn't like it too sweet. She doesn't like it too sour. I go off her taste buds because it's her product."
Takela says her daughter inspires her.
"She's very motivated to learn, and nothing is too big for her. She's kind, she's smart, she's very motivated," said Takela.
Mom also says selling lemonade has been a learning experience for her daughter.
"Counting money, how to greet people, how to talk to people. Her social skills, her people skills," Takela said. "She was shy, so this has basically opened her up to socializing with people, so that's good."
Takela adds, "Saving, we go to the bank once a week, and she wants to see the deposit. I can say growing up, and I did not know much about financial literacy."
But mom also stresses sharing. "I go with the three S's. So, we can save, spend, and share. We have to give back. She always wants to give back around the holidays. It's teaching her to give back and let her know there are people less fortunate than her."
Tameria and her mom even wrote a book together called "Dreaming of Tameria's Lemonade."
Both hope Tameria's lemonade stand and the book is a ray of hope, encouraging other kids to follow their dreams.
"Anything is possible. That's what we say all the time, " says Takela.
"Yeah, anything is possible," echoes Tameria. They both laugh.
Carole Meekins at TMJ4 first reported this story.
