The Perfect Family

The Perfect Family: Ethan Sterling

Family.  What is family? Family is supposed to be a group of people who love and support you no matter what.  Family is supposed to mean that now matter what happens there will always be somebody there for you.  Family is supposed to be close and loving.  However, most families are not all of these things.

I have a small family—it only consists of nine people.  When I was a kid I was like most, naïve.  I thought that there was nothing wrong with my family.  However, as I got older I started to notice that things were not so perfect.  Then it hit me.  The day my mom told me that she was not speaking to her parents.  I thought, “Did I do something wrong?  Is this some sick joke she is playing on me?”.  The answer was “No, this does not involve you”.  But she was so wrong.

My family was already small enough—I only have one brother, one set of grandparents, two aunts, one uncle, and no cousins.  To hear that it would become even smaller crushed me.  To know that no holiday or birthday would be the same.  By having her not speak to them, it affected everything family event I would ever have.  I would have to go on having two separate families—one with my parents and one with the rest of my family. 

After it set in, I told myself “I will not let this ruin my family”.  I would still speak to my grandparents just as much as before, and still have the same relationship with my mom.  I would have two of every holiday, one with my parents and one with the rest of my family. 

I still think about what it would be like—to have the perfect family.  The one where every talks to each other.  The one where there is no drama.  The one where holidays are only celebrated once.  But then I have to tell myself, “that is only a fantasy”.  I have to move on, accept the facts, and realize I will never have the perfect family.