The 5 People I’m Thankful For Every Year

Hi guys!

This Thanksgiving, like every Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my fabulous 5.  Everyone who knows my family is touched by how close we are.  There is so much love and support running through our bodies.  From when we were little, my parents strongly enforced the importance of flesh and blood.  We weren't allowed to yell at each other or even be mad at each for long periods of time.  Because of my parents, we became a popular family in our town.  Everyone knows about us because we display something a lot of families do not--togetherness.

I would call my mom the rock of our family.  She is the most lively person you will ever meet.  I've never met someone who didn't adore my mom or call her "cute."  Sometimes, I wish I had her personality.  She's a great person to go to for advice or just for some words of wisdom.  My mom is always so ecstatic when I do something great.  I don't think any of my accomplishments are that big of a deal, but she always does.  I would text my mom and say that I did [insert achievement here] and she would send me this long verbose text explaining how proud she is of me and how my future is so bright.  All those texts are saved because I always rely on it to cheer me up on a rough day.

My dad is an absolute sweetheart.  He's so gentle.  However, I never overlook his gentleness for weakness.  At times, he is a firm man.  Growing up, he repeatedly instilled that a good education and a good family was the success for a promising and happy future.  He would literally break his back for us.  My dad is the huge reason for our togetherness.  There is nothing we don't do together.  When I was younger, I distinctly remember my father gathering us all into one room every night to pray.  As we got older, those nights became limited because we were all coming home at different times due to extra curricular activities.  I fight with my siblings about how I'm his favorite--it's so obvious.  Apparently, I hog him a lot.  My dad and I are basically the same person.  We push each other to the point where we're no longer comfortable.  But, if ever did fall, we know that we'll be there to catch one another.

My older brother is so polite.  He's that guy who will address people he doesn't know with "ma'am" and "sir."  It makes me look bad because I say "yes" or "no" and that makes me look impolite.  My brother has always set the bar.  Sometimes, it sucks to be the first child but he did a great job.  He looks out for us all the time and takes full responsibility when we mess up.  He takes it personal because he thinks our parents deserve the best for what they've done for us.  Therefore, we owe it to them to be the best people we can be.  He graduated from college this past Spring and moved to Boston a couple weeks after to start the next chapter in his life working for a big financial firm.  Having a big brother is awesome!  He pays for everything whenever we go out together--which is often. 🙂

My younger brother is a clown.  He's been mischievous ever since he was born.  However, for all the jokes he's played and times he's gotten in trouble,  he's absolutely brilliant.  We're competitors.  It's healthy competition though.  Till this day, we have bets to see who will end up with the greater GPA for the semester.  The person who does has all the bragging rights.  It sounds petty, but it's not.  We are pushing each other to our best academic ability possible.  There's no great reward at the end but the sense of satisfaction over one another.  We learn from each other.  Let's say I get a lower GPA, (which is rare) I would reevaluate what went wrong throughout the semester.  Whatever I came up with, I use to my advantage so next semester I'll be the one that comes out on top.

My little sister is my everything.  I think I'm the reason for existence, and I never let her forget it.  When I was 5, I begged my parents for a little sister and out of no where...BOOM!  She has been the most precious thing in my life.  I couldn't imagine what I would do if something happened to her.  She's only 16, but she keeps me sane.  She's extremely mature for her age.   She takes matters into her own hands and figures out ways to accomplish something.  I think my sister is the funniest person ever.  Whenever I'm with her, I can't breathe because I'm laughing so much.

Together, we make 6.  6 people that truly love and support each other.  I'm extremely blessed to have these fabulous people in my life every year...and for that, I am extremely thankful.  I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

Ugo 🙂