Whenever I go home for the weekend to see my family, I get asked, “What are you going to do this weekend?” Usually, coming home involves sitting on the couch and watching TV, just lounging around for the day, or maybe even going out to dinner. Let me tell you though, going out to dinner with my family is a process. What usually happens is that we will all throw out options of where to go, and someone will shoot them down. Eventually, someone will settle and we will pick a place to go. Once we get there, someone will complain that they can’t find anything to eat, and after we eat, someone will complain that they didn’t like their food. We will leave, exclaiming that we should probably never go out to eat again.
This happens over and over again.
Growing up, and especially in high school, I realized that I had a pretty special relationship with my parents. My brother, eight years younger than me, was always a pain but completely adores me. I could turn to my parents about most things, and had no problem just “chillaxin” (as my dad says) with my family. When I went to school freshman year, I sobbed. Leaving my family was a disaster that I could hardly even cope with. Now, as a sophomore, the stress is much higher. I’m busier, but I do still miss my family because I’m so stressed and have no one to console me (except for my friends that I constantly complain to – sorry about that).
I have no problem saying that I’m kind of obsessed with my family. Not obsessed in the weird, creepy way, but just so in love with them as my family that I get so excited to see them. Have you ever heard the expression “absence makes the heart grow fonder?” It really does. I didn’t realize the full extent of how much I was going to miss my family until I had to go to school and leave them behind. College has made me realize just how lucky I am that I have something to miss. I’ve never been more appreciative of my family than I have been during my time at UMass Amherst.
I still talk to my parents all of the time. I’m constantly texting my mom telling her how stressed I am, or how I miss home, or how I am going crazy. She always tells me to get my life together (in the nicest way possible) and to make sure I’m taking vitamins. I still tell my parents when I get a good grade, which is kind of embarrassing, but I still do it.
Totally dysfunctional, but my family is wonderful. And even though they say that the house is so much cleaner without me here, which is true, I know they miss me a lot. College really has made me love my family so much more…if that is even possible.