Family - The Most Precious Thing In My Life

I think everyone has one person in their life who they can look at and just say “thanks”. Thank you for helping me feel better when I’m down. Thank you for listening to me when I’m excited about my assignments, and for letting me rant on and on about why I hate school. Thank you for taking me out to all those musicals and plays. Thank you for correcting me when I was in the wrong, and for explaining why, instead of making me feel bad about it. This is why I want to share with you my thoughts about this in "Family Is The Most Precious Thing In My Life: Essay". I am surrounded by so many people that have had an impact on my life, but my great uncle has by far had the greatest influence on me. When I was younger, my parents, sister, great uncle and I would all get in our pajamas, order a pizza– with everything on it– and rent a movie. The movies almost always consisted of Disney, but occasionally we’d sneak some Pixar into the mix. Looking back now, that was such a great part of my childhood, and I'm so thankful I got to share it with my great uncle. He didn't have to come, but he did. Every Friday night he’d put on his pjs, have a slice of pizza and watch a movie with us.

As I got older we didn't have as many movie nights. Instead, we’d go out and see musicals, or live shows. He’s taken me to see the Nutcracker, Les Miserables, The Sound of Music, Spanish Flamenco Dancers, and Beethoven's Symphony N. 9. This isn't me bragging. If I told my friends that I had seen any of these shows, they wouldn't care. But that's the point. I’m so glad that someone cared. He’d even take us to the art gallery and the museum. Maybe I didn't get the significance of it at the time, but all of this taught me appreciation.

I think that’s the upside of having someone older in your life because they teach you to appreciate different things. I don’t listen to just SoundCloud rappers or the top 40’s list. Actually, I want to make it really clear that I don't listen to SoundCloud rappers at all. That shit is not music. But I find that I listen to– and appreciate– a variety of music. I can appreciate my dad’s music from the 80’s, and not just because “that’s R E A L music.” I was so privileged to be exposed to such a diverse cultural spectrum. It has taught me that although I may not like SoundCloud rappers, I can appreciate why someone might feel like that kind of music speaks to them. I am able to appreciate different genres of music today because my great uncle taught me to recognize the history and detail behind each piece of artwork, and the time and effort that goes into producing a musical.

I also find that I’m much more open-minded because of my great uncle. I was always so privileged to sit at the “grown-up” table and listen to the discussions that were happening. Many people believe that it’s wrong because “we’re too young to be able to grasp the complex discussions that were going on.” But my family respected me enough to know that just because I was younger, I still understood what was going on. I hate when grownups treat kids like little ants that they can just step on when they want to remind themselves of their superiority. My great uncle never did that. He always respected me which is why I have so much respect for him. I think that’s the main point that so many people miss. Why is it that so many teens disrespect their elders?

Sitting at the dinner table, listening and conversing with different ages– and different generations– taught me to respect someone's opinion and where it’s coming from. It also taught me to be able to continue a discussion in a respectful manner and not get so emotional about a topic that shouldn’t really affect me personally. Just because I have an opinion on something, doesn’t mean it's the only one.

I like who am I. I’m happy that I have different genres of music to listen to for each of my moods. And I enjoy having long, philosophical discussions at the dining room table with my family. But it’s not really about me. It’s about the people around me, and how they helped me become the person I’m so proud to be.