Being at college is very different from being at home, but I have learned lessons about family I never would have learned without going away to school. Because of these lessons, I am even more thankful for my family.
1. You don’t have to talk every day to stay close.
The amount I talk to my siblings, parents and grandparents varies every week. No matter when we talk again, it’s like no time has passed and we just fall back into the routine of talking about our days and the most recent dramas of our lives. Having my family to vent to when I’m stressed or homesick and to listen to when they’re stressed or when I miss their voices is something I’ve learned to be so thankful for.
2. Just doing normal things together can be the best times together.
Coming back home for breaks and long weekends is so great because we oftentimes spend most of the time simply hanging out. Sitting around the kitchen table doing schoolwork or eating breakfast is so much better with the people who have seen you through all of your awkward stages and now get to watch you succeed at college, even if it is mostly through FaceTime and group texts of accomplishments. Being able to just relax in addition to being able to share and celebrate our exciting events is one of my favorite parts about my family.
3. You have people proud of you and people to be proud of.
Those family group texts never fail to make me smile. Seeing my siblings accomplish great things at all stages in life and my parents being proud of us all is a feeling I could never replace. The bond we all have is what encourages me to try and succeed in all aspects of my life, because I have learned that my family is whom I strive to make proud.
4. Becoming individuals will make the family stronger.
We thrive as a family, but only because we all thrive as individuals. We have each other as a support system, cheering section and personal therapists, but when we all work hard at being uniquely ourselves, we show what our last name can stand for. I have learned a family works like a team, and each player bringing his best effort to the game will most every time lead to victory, and most definitely lead to team harmony.
5. No matter what, family will always be No. 1.
Through every triumph and every fall, family will be there to pick you back up from the defeat or to keep your head level and encourage you to keep working hard. I have learned you can’t replace family and the love that comes along with the group of people you call family. Never forget where you come from and always work hard with your family in mind.