Who are the first ones to notice when you're having a bad day or call you just to cheer you up? Who are the ones who would drop what they're doing just for you? It's your family.

So why is it that today many kids are going to other people before the ones that raised them? Is it because of convenience? The want to talk to someone their age who is maybe going through the same things at the same time? Honestly, I can't answer that because it could be a whole number of things.

To me, family should always come first. Your family, whether biological or not, were the ones who raised you, taught you manners, molded you into the person you are today, and loved you from the very beginning. They are the ones who drop everything, focus most of their energy on you, and will do almost anything to help you succeed. They are the ones who will be there, always.

To say that hearing someone bash their family hurts me would be an understatement. I mean, these are the people who changed their entire lives to care for you, to love you, to raise you, and yet here you are focusing only on yourself. It does more than just hurt me; it angers me. If only that person could understand what it would be like to lose a close family member because I guarantee their attitude would change.

Family means forgetting yourself and focusing on others who do the same. It is opening your arms, your hearts and embracing them with kindness and warmth. Family is love. Sure, some family members are a little better than others, but that's the beauty about today's American family: it can be whoever you want. Family doesn't have to be blood, but it can be your neighbor, your teacher, your best friend. Family is what you make of it.

So who do you consider to be family? Who do you hold close to your heart? Who would you drop anything and everything to help them in their time of need knowing they would do the same for you? Whoever you think of, they are your family. Put them first, love them whole-heartedly, and never take any moment spent with them for granted because you never know what moment will be their last.