Family is something that all of us consider important. It’s common knowledge that family relationships mean a lot to everyone, whether they are good or bad. Each and every person’s perspective is shaped by who influences them throughout their life, but especially in the early years of it. Our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, cousins and everyone else involved in our early development provide us the foundation on which we build our views of the world and then how we approach it.
So many teenagers have the notion that life after moving out from their parents’ house is so much more grand than being a teenager and living with your parents. While I think that this can be true in some aspects, I believe a lot of teenagers undervalue their teen years spent with their family.
Personally, I am still 17 and living with my parents. Recently, I began to realize that in only a short couple of years, I will be moving away for college. While I am excited for what is to come when I begin a life on my own, I know that I will miss my family beyond anything that I can even imagine right now. I’m sure many of my peers have similar thoughts, but I also know a lot of them who look forward to moving out. I can admit that there have been times when I looked forward to living on my own, but recently, I have been thinking more about how I will miss my family.
These thoughts were largely sparked by the passing of my grandmother in September of this year (2023). I lived with my grandmother for around 13 years, from four years old to 17. To say I can’t remember anything besides her always being there is a reflection of just how present she was in my developmental years. My mother and father moved in with my mother’s parents when I was just becoming a child from a toddler. My grandfather passed away not too long after we moved in, but my grandmother lived for 11 more years.
My grandmother’s passing put a lot into perspective for me. The lessons I have learned from her are endless. She was the strongest person I have ever known and was there for her family like no one else. Her strength carries on within me, and I aspire to be as devoted to my family as she was. These attributes that family members pass onto each other make up each and every family’s legacy. Family legacy is a large part of how every person becomes the way that they are. Family legacy is one of the biggest reasons why family is so important to every individual, whether the traits passed down through generations are good or bad.
With my grandmother passing away just before the holidays, I have also realized how important family is during special occasions. My grandmother always made a large feast for my family every single Christmas, every single year. She was what brought my family together, and the holidays will never be the same without her. Family traditions are another thing that plays into family legacy, and when the people you would follow those traditions with are gone, the holidays just don’t feel the same. Even on normal days, however, I find myself thinking of my grandmother and the little things that she would do for me and for others every single day.
Even if the experience you have had with your family isn’t or hasn’t always been good, there are always lessons to be learned from your upbringing and those who influenced it. If you have had a positive family experience, however, it is beyond important to cherish it. Family, if they are overall positive influences on you, is one of the most stable things that we have for our entire lives. The memories and lessons that they give you will stick with you for the rest of your life. So, teenagers, appreciate your family while you are still with them consistently, and be grateful for all of the sacrifices that they have made and continue to make for you.
In loving memory of Brenda L. (Ott) Spindler, my dear grandmother.