Family is the most important thing to me. Is it cliche? Yes. But true nonetheless. I call my mom every single day, my sister and dad whenever I can, and I’m constantly talking to random cousins or family friends. I have them to thank for everything decent about me.
When I was in elementry school I was not cool at all. Shocker, I know. I was a dweeby kid with a Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Disk and one friend. (shout out to Oscar) One day I was playing Kingdom Hearts II on the PS2 and the title song Dearly Beloved was playing. I loved it so I kept it on for a bit and I noticed my grandma sit down and just listen. My grandma only speaks spanish (and I didn’t at all) and while we love eachother more than anything we had nothing in common so it was hard for us to just connect. Until that day. I did my best to ask her what she was doing and she told me that she liked the song and wanted to sit and listen. I left it there and though the language barrier we talked about it. After that I thought if me and someone who is over 60 years older than me and speaks a whole other language can find something small in common, then I could do that with anyone. And from that’s the first step to finding out more about them and before you know it you become friends. It took a while but that thinking helped me change for the better. And without my grandma, I wouldn't've been able to have that moment. My family has also given me life lessons way more directly. “Don’t do it for anyone but yourself. The moment you focus on what you want to do and do it for yourself is when you’ll grow and be better.” My dad told me that when I first started my A/V class and I was worried no one would like my videos. I figured he just didn’t “get it” but it stuck with me and eventually I didn’t even know what I meant by “get it.” What’s there to get? I should make what I like and if people don’t like it then they’re not who its for. My family usually gave simple answers to complicated questions and it always frustrated me but they were always right. I remember I was talking to my mom about someone I hated being around and after I complained for a while she just said, “if you don’t like them, don’t talk to them.” Incredibly confused I asked her, “So i’m just supposed to ignore them?” She looked at me funny because I didn’t get it even though it’s pretty simple. “Don’t ignore them but surround yourself with people you like. Avoid the ones you don’t. It’s pretty simple.” And it was simple. Why should I be around them? I didn’t need to talk to them. I liked talking to other people more. After that my life became a lot more fun.
Also just being around them has shaped who I am so much. Having such a huge family that loves each other unequivocally is way more rare then I knew. I always took it for granted, and I feel guilty about it. I love my family, and I know they all love me. All the holidays or random reasons we made up to get together are my best memories. The food they cook, the alcohol they drink, stories they tell, and the games they play at 1 A.M are etched into my memory, and whenever I’m sad I can just think back to those moments and it makes everything alright.
My cousin Lalo and I have gone to each other's houses almost every week since we were 8. He’s like a brother to me and I would do anything for him. Coming here, everyone talks about how distant they are to all their family and it shocks me. I ask them who they went to when they were sad and they said they just stayed in their room or talked to a friend that they now haven’t talked to in years. I ask them about their parents and they don’t know anything about them and never spent time with them. Since I was a kid I’ve always sat with my mom or laid next to her and watched ABC’s Gilmore Girls and we’ve seen the whole show together over 5 times. We talk about who we think Rory should end up with (Logan obviously) and small details you only get to talking about from watching so often. Me and my sister are inseparable and know how the other thinks. I always head over to her room and talk about the things I can’t with anyone else. I would always tag along with my dad whenever he was going to drive somewhere and we talked about random things and I learned more about them each time we went out and I always remember those conversations when I drive. I think that’s why I love driving so much. I can’t help but think about those moments every time someone says they haven’t talked to their family in weeks.
My family are my heroes. My dad is an immigrant and has lived the american dream in an age when people say it’s impossible. He has done everything for us and I can never thank him enough for it. His hard work and determination inspires me and makes me always push myself further. My mom always does everything she can for our family for no other reason other than the fact she loves us. It makes me feel like I have someone to count on and helps me appreciate everything I have. My sisters absolute love for me and how dependable she is has always made me want to be there for other people the way she's there for me. Because everyone needs someone like her.
Family is the most important value to me. Always has been, always will be. Without them I’d be a shell of who I am today. I owe everything to them and will always love them.
Nice. It's a rare thing to have such connections. You are a lucky man.
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