The Meaning of Family
The term family has different meanings to everyone and I am learning new things everyday about how much my family means to me. To me family means support, unconditional love, forgiveness, and anything positive you can think of. One thing we can never truly escape is the fact that the same blood runs through us, our parents, brothers and sisters. As a result, families are the first to forgive when we do something wrong, the first to celebrate when we achieve something, and the first comfort when a series of unfortunate events occur. I’m positive that we have all been through these situations in some way or another. I think the most beautiful thing I have witnessed in my family is the power of forgiveness.
I was always the one to put my family last. Living with my family for so long, I somehow thought to myself that they would always be here. As a result, I didn’t really prioritize my family once I entered college. I became busy, getting involved, volunteering, just trying to make my presence known on campus to build my own character. Almost every day I came home super late. My home was like a hotel to me, a place where I ate and slept. I would wake up, go to school or go out. I hardly spent any time with my family anymore. The typical way of showing love would be the phrase “Did you eat yet?” I remember all the times I would come home late. I always thought I would get lectured, but surprisingly my dad would just ask me if I had dinner yet. I would breathe a sigh of relief and go eat dinner. Not once did my family ever bug me about going out so much or why I never helped out with the family job. I simply took advantage of my family’s kindness. Deep down inside I always felt guilty for being so distant. It wasn’t until studying abroad and being away from my family that I began to learn how to really love my family.
When I decided to study abroad I didn’t expect things to happen to me the way they did. I am in a new place away from friends and family. My mom was already sick for the past year and she has been getting worse. I just recently let go of my highly prioritized relationship. I didn’t expect to have so much on my plate and have such a hard time abroad. I was heart-broken by many things especially losing the relationship I put so much into for three years. But I was glad things happened the way they did. After letting go of my relationship, I began to focus more on my family. I started seeing my family differently. I regretted not being there for so many things. I desperately wanted to get in touch with my sisters and my parents more than I already was. I thought that they would hate me because deep down inside I was a terrible sister and daughter. But to my surprise, I could feel their forgiveness whenever I called home. I always thought my family would be there, but my parents aren’t getting any younger. I don’t want to regret anything, so never again do I want to take my family for granted.
Asking if I had eaten when I came home late at night instead of scolding me was a sign of forgiveness. Giving me warmth instead of the cold shoulder when I hadn’t prioritize them was another sign of forgiveness. You all probably expected something big when I talked about forgiveness within my family. But even if the type of forgiveness I talked about seemed small, it meant the world to me. It made me realize how much I wanted to return my family’s love. That’s what families are for right? To forgive, love, support and celebrate even the littlest things in life.
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