While growing up, I have come to realize that a person's true nature shows through when they are with their family. My own behavior has fluctuated with my family, and I have noticed what kind of person I am because of them. There are times where I am laughing until my gut hurts, and there are times where I am crying out of frustration and disappointment.

I am a quadruplet, and I believe that my parents have done their best to not make one of us feel insignificant or be favorited over the other.

Having siblings the same age as me is something I do not find overly extraordinary, while to many people it is.

We are fraternal and have very different personalities. We are also competitive and work hard to obtain our goals, never quitting what we had started until it is finished.

Our competitiveness can be out of friendly banter, but it can also drive us apart. We all went to different colleges and have had our own adventures. Through these experiences, we have grown apart from one another and changed.

Sometimes, I have felt jealous of my siblings. I always tried to work hard and reach my own goals. Being driven is what keeps me going. I drive my compassion into accomplishing a goal and then some.

Appearing successful and mature to my family are things that I have valued greatly.

To me, being unique and creative were the best ways for me to express myself. Over time, I have found that my greatest flaw was being overly impatient, and it has made me greatly disappointed with my family and with myself.

When I come home for breaks in college, I notice things in my family that trouble me greatly.

Frankly, we do not treat each other with enough respect. Because we know each other so well and because we are so comfortable with each other, we have become lazy on being patient, understanding and polite to each other.

There's bickering, there's shouting, there's fighting and almost always (for me anyway), there is crying. I'm sure there are a fair number of families that also have these predicaments and have more or less similar struggles.

I do love my family, and I am willing to support them and be there for them when they need me. To overcome my flaws and the struggles that occur in my family, I believe clear communication, respect and honesty are the most important qualities to have to build healthy relationships. Being patient and having good listening skills are a must, especially with a boisterous family.

Being a part of a large family does bring me waves of emotions. They are the people I owe for giving me guidance and shaping me into the person I have become today. I will always be a part of them, and they will always be a part of me, through the good, bad and the ugly. Love does conquer all; I will strive with all my might to be a pillar of support that keeps the house together.