My Family and Other Animals

Recently, it was my grandfather’s 75th birthday. Celebrating over the phone reminded me of how important family is for me and also how much I miss them. Currently my mother is in Dehradun celebrating with my grandfather and my brother is in Jaipur for a football tournament so the house is relatively empty, and while that gives me a sense of freedom, it doesn’t stop me from feeling rather lonely.

Recently a new figure came into my life. Homer, my dog, is the newest addition to an already crowded household. Whether he is lying on top of you in bed, begging for food or for you to take him for a walk, he never gives you a moment of peace. Yet, I never seem to mind. His liveliness lightens up the house day after day. We have only had him for 3 months and he is already all of our best friend.

My family is spread across the world. I’ve got aunts and uncles living in England, Australia and the United States of America. This means that communication is often virtual which

provides many limitations in regards to catching up. However, when I do get to see them in person, it is a memorable experience. Also, it means I get to see different parts of the world.

One of the most common activities for us together as a family is playing board games. Everyone in my family, including my grandparents, parents, cousins, Aunts and Uncles, seems to enjoy board games. I find that these games are good fun and they bring us closer together. Our games also tend to get competitive and after a long game it is quite normal for my father or mother to declare, “I never want to play with you again!”.

We also often watch movies or sports together. My mother is a movie buff, she loves all types of movies although she has a special place in her heart for old ones. My father loves watching sports together, we all support our own team and here again we can be inclined to get competitive.

My family is my support system. They are the people who celebrate my achievements and the people by my side when I am hurt or sick. They are my inspiration, my friends and my role models.

As Michael J. Fox once said “Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.”