Life Lesson Number Three: Appreciate Family

For eighteen years of our life, they are there every step of the way. They are there for our best days and worst days. They are there as we take our first steps and go on our first dates.  Then one day, they drop us off in a strange place, say their goodbyes and you are forced to fend for yourself in this big scary world.  If you haven't figured it out by now, I happen to be talking about family, in particularly the ones who raised us.  Whether it was your Mom, Dad, aunt, uncle or grandparents, we all must admit that we wouldn't be where we are today without them.

Growing up, I was lucky to have both my parents there to support and guide me through all the ups and downs.  When I got to college, I quickly realized that my parents had been my best friends all along.   I never thought that I would miss them nagging me about doing chores around the house (which I never ended up doing).  I never really appreciated their home cooked meals every night or their questions about how my day was until I had to eat the food from the dining hall. The bottom line was until I got to college, I never realized how much my parents did for me, until I had to do it all by myself.

College is extremely overwhelming at first as many of us probably experienced, but what's even more overwhelming is the cost.  One day while I was sitting in my Political Science class, I decided to find out how much money that class cost.  Let me remind you that I am an out-of-state student, so after punching in a few numbers on my calculator, I was flabbergasted to find out how much I was paying for just one class.  All I could think of was the fact that my parents were spending ample amounts of money just so I could get a higher education.  That day, I sat there and thought about how all the money they were spending on my brother's and my education could go to so many other things, like a house or a new decked out sports car. Instead they put it towards us.  If it wasn't for my parents, I wouldn't even be able to afford this place on my own nor would I be at this university.  The truth is I wouldn't even be writing this blog post because I wouldn't be in this class if it wasn't for their financial support.  So appreciate the money that your loved ones put forth so that you can have a higher education, after all this institution costs a lot of zeros.

College also gives us a lot of time to reflect.  For the first times in our lives, we aren't under the guidance of our loved ones.  It's all now up to us. Think about what all our loved ones have taught us; the rights from the wrongs.  Think about all the experiences they have given us up to this point.  Think about all the values they have instilled in us and the life lessons we have learned through them.  I know that if it wasn't for my parents, I never would of been able to travel the world, play on the best softball team in the state that was based two hours from my house or learn to speak what I believed in regardless of what anyone thought.  I never would of valued Pizza Friday, or enjoyed our political debates at the dinner table. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be me.


So, college has made me appreciate our weekly FaceTime calls, the care packages they send me, their daily texts and the time that I am able to spend with them when I'm home.  The truth is I miss my parents everyday, yet I know that they want me to be the best I can be and getting an education at Penn State will help me accomplish that.  I want you to stop for a second and take out your cell phone and do the following.  Send a quick text to the ones that got you to this point and tell them that you love and miss them.  After all, you probably wouldn't be at this university without them and their guidance and it will only take a few seconds!