My Freaky Family

From left to right: Nikki (younger sister), me, mother, and Liana (older sister)

When I read that this week's blog post was about family, I knew I'd have no difficulty writing it. One good thing about living with a family as crazy as mine is that you never run out of things to say about them.

My family is composed of my younger sister, Nikki, older sister, Liana, mother, and me. A joke I often like to make in regards to all of us is that I am the disappointment of the family. Nikki is 17 years old and in college at Clarkson University. She graduated high school a year early, took advanced college math classes during high school, spent a month abroad in Spain, and is now a full time student with an on-campus job and the responsibility of being the head of the student government. Liana is 21, also graduated high school a year early, and is a world traveler. She spent the entire summer after graduating middle school in China, has taken trips to Japan and France, and currently lives in Prague, Czech Republic while also traveling throughout the European Union. As for mother, she grew up in Buffalo, moved out of the house at the age of 18, and worked full time while also going to UB full time to get a degree in accounting. She eventually opened up her own business which she still owns and works for today. She also successful raised three kids as a single parent (and we are a HANDFUL, trust me). I'm sure now you can see why I often like to refer to myself as the disappointment.

Social media never really had an impact on my family until recently. I have only had social media for 3 years now, so it never really affected me growing up. My siblings and I were given flip phones once we got into fifth grade, but our use on them was very restricted. We were not allowed to bring them into our rooms and especially not to the dinner table (which still applies to this day). I believe that the lack of social media in my upbringing actually led to me being more responsible on these platforms. I do not put out any personal information and make sure that all of my accounts are private. Had social media been present in my childhood, I feel like I would be much less sensitive about privacy. Presently, social media has actually brought my family together. My sisters and I have an active group Snapchat going called "Ellegate Squad" where we regularly update each other on our lives. My mother has also gotten an Instagram which has given me the wonderful opportunity to send here memes such as the one below (which she found particularly amusing because of how accurate it is).

As for helping others, both of my parents have been very involved in community service and for this reason I had two very good role models. For example, my mother is a part of an organization called the Lions Club which regularly does community service events. She also volunteers for the Rotary Club, an organization dedicated to spreading awareness about foreign cultures through exchange programs. The organization is also involved in numerous international initiatives to fight diseases, provide clean water, and promote peace. I actually got involved in helping out at their annual "Duck Derby" event where we dump hundreds of plastic ducks into the Erie Canal for a race to raise money for the club.

In addition, my mother also volunteers as a member of the school board and is a girl scout leader. My father, who sadly passed away when I was eight years old, was also a role model for me due to his volunteering as a coach for the Niagara Orleans Football Association. His impact was so significant that an annual award is given out in his honor to a person from each team who shows “The Love of the Game and More Importantly the Love of the Children.” For these reasons, I knew how important and impactful helping others could be.

By joining the Boy Scouts of America I had plenty of opportunities to volunteer and help others. For my Eagle Project, which is a service project one must lead before acquiring the rank of Eagle, I planned and organized the painting of all the fire hydrants in the Hamlet of Gasport. Though it may seem like a pretty insignificant thing to do, I had many homeowners come out and thank me for what I was doing. Supposedly the hydrants were becoming an eye sore, and a fresh coat of paint was exactly what the town needed to be more visually pleasing. Scouting also instilled many morals in me that I still follow to this day. For example, the Boy Scout slogan is "Do a good turn daily," meaning you should try and do one act of kindness everyday. I try and stick to this by doing small acts of kindness wherever and whenever I can - it could be anything from holding the door open to tutoring someone for class. This is an oddly specific example, but I also make it a goal to try and help someone anytime I go skiing. If I ever see someone fall or struggle to get down the hill, I feel obligated to go and help them stand up, get their skis back on, and make it to the bottom. I always feel so happy if I am able to make someone's day better.

I am so fortunate and proud to call these people my family. I try and keep bragging to a minimum, but it is so difficult for me not to talk about how amazing my family is. I keep a picture of all of us on my desk so whenever the going gets rough I can look down and be reminded of why I need to keep going - to make them proud. Both my parents and my sisters motivate me to try harder and be the best person I can be. Without them I wouldn't be half the person I am today, and that is something I will forever be grateful for.

Works Cited/Consulted:

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/the-role-of-media-in-the-family/

https://www.rotary.org/en

https://lionsclubs.org/en