What Matters the Most

Warning: I am going to be really cliche and sappy in the following post.

Yeah, you can 'rebel' against your parents and say that you 'hate' your family. You can talk back to them and treat them terribly. You can ignore them, tell them to drop you off a block away so your 'friends' don't see you with them, pretend to be embarrassed by them so your 'friends' don't make fun of you, and not take their advice and make bad decisions. If you want to do that, be my guest. But before you do, just remember who puts a roof over your head, and who works for the money for the food to keep you not hungry. Just think of how hard they try to teach you how to be independent and successful. That is all they really want, the least you could do is help out for a bit. Sorry if that came off a bit harsh, but it is true.

The most important people in your life is your family, and I am willing to argue with anyone who says different. Friends will come and go, but your family will always be there. They are your foundation, and they define who you are and where you came from. Just like a country has a history, you also have a history. And your family is that history. 

A really interesting thing to me is finding out where my family came from. Just listening to my great uncle talk about his life was absolutely amazing. The world was a totally different place than it is now, and it is really hard to fathom unless you have someone from that generation talk to you personally about their experiences. Another personal favorite of mine is old photographs. They tell so many stories that humans can't. They tell memories that people who passed away can no longer share.

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family. You are stuck with them. Your family will always be there no matter what. They are who you are.