The Importance of family - Lifelong bonds

A couple of weeks ago, my grandparents came to stay with us for some time and this made me think about how important a close and connected family is. Over these days, I have spent many a day catching up with family over a game of Phase 10 or Jaboo, and it has made me appreciate how fortunate I am to be able to communicate freely with people whom I love.

In times of stress or trouble, a family is your support system. No matter the situation, they will always have your back. A family provides a sense of belonging and security for everyone. It’s an environment where people of all ages can communicate and act openly with each other. And most importantly, it’s a group of people who love and care about each other. 

My nuclear family is made up of my mother, father, older brother and a dog. My dog is my best friend. Whenever I am feeling sad or having a tough day, nothing and no one can comfort me like he does. His innocence and his blind kindness gives me reason to wake up each and every morning.

My parents and my brother are my pillars. I never have to look far for help when I need it, whatever the situation, they will drop everything to come to my aid. They are also funny and smart people whom I am glad to know and love. Community in our house is fostered through evenings spent competing for glory in a variety of board games which we have all come to think of as the determining factor for our homes’ champion.

Both sets of grandparents are the best sources of fun a child could ask for. My Dadu and Dadi love to play card games with my brother and I and they are both great to talk to about anything on my mind. My Nana and Nani love to play board games with my family and I and are always willing to tell the best stories. Everyone else in my large and loving family is important and I value each and every one of them for their own unique reasons.

However, at times family is easy to take for granted. Fights happen, it’s normal, but the important thing to remember through it all is how lucky you are to have people to fight and laugh with on a daily basis. People who love you unconditionally and who value your own life as much as you do are not ones to fight and argue with over the pettiest of things.

I hope that one day, every orphaned child struggling can find people who they can call their family, and until then they should know that we are all part of our own community as humans. The human race has a responsibility to care for one another and all those who have to spend their days alone should know that they are also valued. Because in the end, a family is what keeps you alive. At least for me, it's the people who keep me going through the lowest lows and it’s the people I want to share my highest highs with.