Ever since I was a little girl, my parents always made sure my values were set on the right things, but one thing they really focused on is teaching me how meaningful family can be. I would like to say my family is a very special one. My grandmother Hilda and my grandfather Amaya have taught me to always care for others even when it seems like it’s impossible. They’ve shown me to always be kind even when you don’t receive anything in return.  

  My father Rafael has taught me to always look forward and be the most optimistic you can ever be, to have hope and faith that everything will work out in the end no matter what obstacles you might go through. My mother Damaris has shown me to have self-respect, to never stay in a place where you don’t feel secure or comfortable.  

  My sister Fidelina has taught me to stand up for myself and always keep going no matter what life throws at you. My sister Hilda Rosa has taught me that I can do anything I propose myself to do, and to always put family first.  

  I have a very close relationship with all my family members. I would say I’m closest with my sister. I go to her when I need pretty much anything, and she always manages to pull through even when it seems impossible.  

  I am also very close to my parents. I sit down with them every weekend and have either lunch, breakfast or dinner, or sometimes we do it it all. We sit and talk about our week and how it was or anything interesting that might have happened to us. That might be one of my favorite parts of the end of my week. If it wasn’t for those beautiful memories that we create, I don’t think I would be as close to them as I am. 

  The relationship I have with all the members of my family has impacted on the way I view life. I believe I am very fortunate about the family I have and the closeness I have with them. I sit back very often and reflect on how lucky I am to come home to a house filled with laughter, happiness, love, smiles, and much more.  

   But it also makes me think not everyone is as fortunate as I am. Not everyone gets to come home to a house filled with questions about your day and what’s new in your life.  

   All this shapes me as a person. Without all this love, I feel that I wouldn’t be as considerate of others’ problems and feelings, and I wouldn’t be as empathetic as I am. Having the relationship I have with every one of my family members has made me very grateful for the love I receive every day at home, which makes me want to give all the love back. I choose to be there for others even when it’s difficult, all because my family has taught me showing up is the least you can do for people, and it means the world to them.  

   My family inspires me in many ways. Ever since she came from Honduras, my grandmother has always made sure she helped her community even if she wasn’t there physically. She collects clothes, toys, household supplies, anything you can think of that people from church or family friends give to her, and she makes boxes filled with the items and food and sends them to Honduras out of her own pocket.      

  Not only does she do this throughout the year, but she and my dad have this tradition to collect money around Christmas time and with that money they buy toys, food, and necessities and put all these things into baskets and give them out to families who are in need the most. They do this out of the kindness of their heart because they know what it’s like to struggle on your own. They want these people to experience the “Christmas” they’ve always seen on TV.  

  These acts of service from my family have taught me to always value how lucky I am that I don’t need to struggle in all the things other people struggle with. Not only do I value that, but it inspires me to be successful in life and to continue those acts of service that they do to those in extreme poverty.  

  If it wasn’t for my family, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. The relationships I have with them and the inspiration I get from them shape me into the person I am. The way each and every one of them raised me with my values in check has made me believe that anything in life is possible as long I work hard for it.