No, it is not Thanksgiving, but I am definitely offering up some good, old-fashioned gratitude and appreciation for my family. Since the semester recently ended, I was able to see my family, majority of who which live in Queens and Brooklyn, and enjoy a good time in their presence. We all have separate, as well as hectic, lives outside from the family occasions and holidays we often spend together. However, with my older cousin graduating from nursing school (aaah, so proud of her!) and my own transition into the professional phase of P.A. school, there has not been a better time to realize that my family are the most important people in my life. Not only do I love them unconditionally, but it is the love, laughter, and compassion they share with me that I could not possibly live without. So, for anyone who strongly believes in family, whether blood-related or not, here are five reasons as to why I am thankful for my family:

1. They will always be there for me.

No matter the amount of mistakes made or wrongs done, they will always have my back. It is one of the best feelings to know that my family accepts me for who I am—flaws and all. Living in this society, it is very difficult to come to terms with who you are as an individual and even more difficult to gain the acceptance we all seek from those who surround us. Sure, we can take the time to acknowledge self-acceptance, but their will always be that innate desire to be liked, or perhaps, adored by others. Luckily, I am able to overlook those who do not like or love me because I have a family who will constantly provide the love I need. I am not perfect and there is not one person I have met in my life that has been able to attain those standards, or even live up to that definition. Yet, thankfully, my family understands that. I make my own mistakes and they overlook it. I make the wrong decisions and they disregard it. They are considerate toward the fact that every living being is deserving of love and acceptance, diffusing those virtues into me whenever I am with them.

2. I can always look to them for a good laugh.

Everyone has a bad day here and there, and sometimes the only true medicine is laughter. It cures any feeling—regret, worry, apprehension, guilt— and last but not least, the devastation of a broken heart. My family knows to make any time together a good time and a great time into an unforgettable memory, just by their humor and laughter. My family is who I turn to when I need that good laugh to cheer me up, when a simple chuckle will not cure my emotions or satiate my need to laugh. I am talking about that laugh that triggers every stimulus in your body, until you are forced to do that silent laugh and end up looking like a frenzied seal, clapping your hands with your mouth wide open. I am talking about that laugh where it becomes an actual workout and after you're done, you check to see if you might have a six pack. I am talking about that laugh that makes tears come out of your eyes uncontrollably. My family kills me with their humor and even if we are laughing at the stupidest joke to ever be created, I know I would rather be laughing with them about nonsense than not laughing at all.

3. They taught me the importance of forgiveness.

Every family experiences disagreements and disputes, but that should never be a reason to be abandon those who love and cherish you the most. Having such a large family (four aunts and five uncles, plus all their children), I know exactly what it is like to haverumors fly as high as birds and encounter tempers as hot as jalapeño peppers. My family is a ticking time bomb of fury, but that is what makes them my family, and I would not change it for the world.If there is something we find disapproving or concerning, we are allowed to speak up. We each were given a voice and therefore, have the freedom to use that voice. No one is told to hide their opinion or bury their feelings because as a family, we know better than to keep secrets from each other. From them, I have learned the significance of forgiveness and more importantly, the act of forgiving. Consequences are understood. Apologies are announced. Compromise is made. Forgiveness makes room not only for negotiation and cooperation, but grants each person a second chance to undo their wrongdoing in order to initiate the process of forgiveness and grow from past mistakes made. Learning how and why to forgive has molded me into the person I am today and nevertheless, has made me into a stronger individual.

4.They never let me settle for less.

I try my best ever day to use each obstacle placed before me on the path to my future as an incentive to handle my hardships with maturity, as well as conquer them with determination and confidence. Each burden I face on my own is not a burden, but a new experience to learn and grow from—a hidden opportunity to overcome my fears and prosper with strength and fearlessness. My family directly witnesses all my hard work and dedication in becoming a competent individual, yet they are also the first-responders when I am confronted with insecurity and discouragement. I can not thank them enough for showing me that there is no reason to mope over “one step backward,” when I can use that time to concentrate even harder and move “six steps forward.” I can not emphasize the difficulty and uneasiness of becoming successful in this society filled with competition and judgment. Sometime my best is not enough and it takes all efforts in my body not to dwell on disappoint and succumb to vulnerability. My family pushes me to be the best I can, even if it means taking risks that seem impossible. They would rather see me struggle in a battle to fight for what I rightfully deserve than to accept rewards that barely meet my own personal standards. However, they never desert me, they remain at my side. I look to my left and there is hand to hold. I look to my right and there is a shoulder to cry on. I look ahead of myself and there is someone to guide and inspire me.

5. They never let me forget my roots.

This is the ultimate reason why I am thankful for my family. My family comes from the small country of Guyana, located in South America, and I am a first-generation American. Impoverished and underprivileged, my family endured many hardships in their homeland, making the best out of what they had. None of them obtained proper educations or wealthy careers, but what they did have was an exceptional family bond like no other. As a family, they came from absolutely nothing and established successful lives in America. Five brothers and fiver sisters lived in a small two-bedroom apartment, hoping that one day they could own their houses and begin their own families. My family’s introduction into America inspires me each day. When I think of their past struggles, I know that I have qualities of strength and perseverance that make me who I am. There is not one single person or thing that can undermine my accomplishments or hinder my dreams. I am here today because my parents chose to struggle and they knew that I would be raised to be stronger than they were when they first arrived in this country. My family’s roots are my biggest influences and uphold an immeasurable impact on my life—proving to me that not even the slightest doubt or downfall can stop me from fulfilling the most challenging and outrageous of endeavors I pursue.