Just this past week I was home from college for Thanksgiving break. I had not been home since September for my high school’s homecoming, so to put it lightly I was very excited when I finally got to head home this week. Being 3 hours away at college is definitely a fun experience, but also challenging at times. Coming from a family of seven and being the oldest of five kids, there is a lot that I did not realize I had learned until I went home for almost a week.
1. It is not always about you.
College is often referred to as your “selfish years”. And to be honest, that is true. For the first time in my life, all of the decisions I am making are affecting me and me only (for the most part) so I don’t really have to worry about what the rest of my family is doing if I want to go meet up with friends, go get something to eat, or just chill in my room. Coming home, I realized that there are six other people affected by the decisions I make; you have to put yourself second and go pick up your little brother’s friends from 30 minutes away, even though that is not what you really want to do.
2. There is ALWAYS something going on.
My mother is a saint for having five kids ranging in ages 8-18 all involved in different things. Because every single one of my siblings has their own schedule only one of them can drive, my mom has to somehow coordinate her schedule with theirs and try not kill anyone in the process. That takes patience. When I was living at home, I helped out with the running around, and I jumped right back into it once I got home for the break. Seriously, shoutout to all of you moms out there who run your kids everywhere and never complain about it.
3. There is always someone to hang out with.
The first four of us were born in five years, so I do not have one childhood memory that does not include at least one of my siblings. I had no idea how much I would miss them, and their constant presence until I moved out. It was so nice when I went home to have someone to watch TV with or just to talk to. While I love my friends in college, there is just something about having a sibling that you can vent to about whatever and laugh about old memories with.
4. The house is messy.
There is always something out of place. Always. But in a weird way, it makes it feel more like a home. Anyone with a large family can vouch for the fact that messiness is just a way of life. I think that it is partly because of the constant going (especially because all of my siblings go to school about 30 minutes from our house) and partly because of the fact that there is almost always more than just seven people in the house at any given time, but like I said, it just adds to the character.
5. There is so much love
Being a part of a “big” family (where I come from, five kids is not all that large), comes with a lot of things: responsibilities, messiness, and accountability, just to name a few. However, it also comes with lots of love. There is always someone there to do something with you, or take your side in an argument. There is always a person who needs a ride, or who wants to just vent. The house may be messy and, at times very loud, but there is no place like home, and I am so glad that I get to be part of a family with so much love.
