My family is my everything. Without them, I would not be who I am today. So here's a "thank you" to the most wonderful people in my life. This is why I love you all so much.

1. They have to love me. They may not like me at times, but they will always love me. I know that I can always run back to my family and they will accept me with open arms.

2. They know how to make me smile. Not everyone can make me smile from ear to ear so easily. My family knows who I am. Therefore, they know what makes me jump for joy. Whether it be a new pair of shoes or the perfect compliment, I can count on them to lift my spirits.

3. They have my back. There are times where I'll feel like I'm all alone. I'll make a mistake and someone will hate me. I may not even forgive myself, but my family will. They will forgive me and they will be by my side.

4. They are proud of me. I may never save the world or do anything wildly spectacular, but my family will be proud of me anyway. They will be there cheering me on through every step in life, and I will never take that for granted.

5. They inspire me. There are few people that I find more inspirational than the people in my family. They always seem to find the silver lining in life and take every breath as a blessing. I strive to be as wonderful as the people that make up my family.

6. They teach me new things every day. Apart from the actual lessons I've learned growing up, my family has taught me things without even trying. I've become the person I am today through their never-ending lessons.

7. They want the best for each other. My family supports and helps each other. There will never come a day where someone will put another down for personal gain.

8. They embrace my flaws. No one is perfect — we get that. But not only does my family understand that I have (many) flaws, they help me learn to love them. I know that if they can love me regardless of my weird quirks, I can love myself.

9. They listen to me. It's hard sometimes to feel like you're being heard. I am so grateful that I can talk to my family and they will listen. I can be venting my sorrows away or presenting a boring speech to them, and either way, they're all ears.

10. They are real with me. Sometimes we all need to be set straight, and I respect that my family members aren't afraid to do so. They tell me what's wrong and help me change my attitude, if need be.