Around this time of year, you truly realize the benefits of growing up in such a close knit family. The holiday season really does make you aware of how much your family does for you, whether it be your extended family, or your siblings and parents under the same roof as you. Growing up my family has been my best friends, the closest thing I’ve ever had. Some kids my age don’t realize how much you lose when you push your parents as far away as possible, and I was lucky enough to have learned that would never benefit me. Ever since I was young, my whole family has practiced this closeness, leaving no room for any other way. We told each other everything, we helped each other out every chance we got, and when we felt, we felt for each other.
Not everyone is lucky enough to grow up around so much love and laughter and to understand the true meaning of family. I’ve had the amazing privilege to find this in not only my small family of my dad, mom, and sister, but in all my aunts, my uncles, my cousins, grandparents, and even great grandparents. When I think of my family, I can’t think of a better quote to describe it than “Family is a lot like fudge, mostly sweet, with lots of nuts in it.” We are nuts, but thats what makes us so close, because we have so much fun together. We bond over crazy, loud conversations, laughing until our stomachs hurt, and almost always too much food and wine.
Whenever we have family gatherings, there is no time for burying our faces in our phones like we do on a normal basis, because between all of us there is quite enough entertainment. The only time this goes on is if we’re snap chatting each other stupid faces across the table about grandpa falling asleep at the table, or the little cousins sneaking dessert before dinner. Bringing a new significant other into the mix is considered the event of the year, and the talk leading up to it is setting the poor person up for disaster. Everyone swarms them with hugs, other than the uncles, and grandpas who try super hard to give them the most intimidating handshakes, and the “if you hurt her, i’ll kill you” look. As soon as they leave, you’d think they were judging the Miss America pageant with the conversations that go on of all the small little details.
In my family, togetherness is a lifestyle, and with that you have dozens of ears to vent to, dozens of eyes watching over you, dozens of hands lending help when you need, and endless amount of love to give. This in itself is such a blessing to be apart of and makes you so grateful for what you have in this special bond. Family is such a familiar term, tossed around with so much ease, but when you truly have a good one, you know and you’d do anything to keep that forever. Family is what holds everything together, no matter what is falling apart.
I’m not sure if this can go for everyone but my family consists of crazy group chats, an overwhelming amount of pictures, texting each other just to hangout and catch up, and random family dinners on days other than holidays. When we do things we never do them half ass and it’s always bound to be a good time. You never really have to worry about anything with a close family because I promise if someone were to screw you over or someone were to break your heart, you’d have your uncles or cousins chasing after them until they couldn’t anymore. If you ever needed to vent about something stupid, something serious, something sad, you’d have your aunts to help you get through it with ice cream and movies. If you ever needed a little spoiling, grandma and grandpa were always there for a therapeutic shopping trip. No matter what we all stick together.
Leaving for college was one of the hardest things I had to do, leaving behind this amazing family. The goodbyes were full of tears, stupid jokes and laughter, and cliche speeches of how to continue to practice good habits while still being a little crazy. If anything, I thought I knew how lucky I was to have grown up in this family, but I don’t think I truly did until I had to leave them for so long. They never let me forget them through endless FaceTimes, calls to checkup, and texts to catch up on the most recent drama.
Family is the only truly constant thing in life and at the end of the day if you’re ever standing alone, I promise if you look around your family will still be there. Everyone says it, you can’t pick your family and it’s true, but me, I would pick mine a million times over again without any doubt.
