My family is a huge part of who I am today.  Not just my parents but, my extended family as well.  My mom’s side of the family mostly lives on a farm.  We are constantly out there helping or just hanging out.  We celebrate every holiday there from Christmas to Saint Patrick's day.  The farm became my safe haven.  When school and my social life get tough I can always count on that place and people to cheer me up and get me away from my problems for a little while.  Growing up surrounded by family has shaped me and helped me become a better person.
   

Some of my best memories were made on the farm with my cousins.  Following my cousins Australian Shepherd, Marti onto the top of the cow pasture is one of my favorites.  It was a mild summer night and I was dying to take a photo of the sunset.  I ran down to the cow pen which was only a couple hundred yards away from my grandparents house.  I remember my energetic little cousin, Kimmie zipping through the sky high corn field.  She would squeal every time she would get lost and sprint out panting.  Once we finally trudged to the top we searched out a place clear of cow manure.  I watched amused as Martie attempted to round up all the cows.  He would cowardly move away every time a cow would make their loud mooing sound.  It was a peaceful night as we watched the orange ball of fire descend behind the mountains in the distance.  This was two nights before school started and it felt as though summer would last forever.  It was so peaceful, the only sound came from the crickets in the distance as night crept upon us. 

A great part of being close to my family is always having someone to rely on.  I can trust that when things get tough in my life my family will always have my back.  My cousins are like my siblings I can tell them anything and know that I am being supported.  They know that I will always support them as well.  When my cousin, Nick broke up with his girlfriend, Millie the whole family was there to cheer him up.  We went swimming in my grandparents pool and had his favorite meal of steak and green beans for dinner.  We got him to laugh and distracted him from his relationship with Millie.  Another time I knew I could rely on them is when my dad’s mother died.  Even though my mother’s side of the family was not close to my Mimi they still went to the wake and funeral to support my brother, parents, and I.  Looking back at that day now it was mostly a blur of tears and random people saying how sorry they were for our loss.  My mom’s side of the family gave up their day to walk around a room filled with people in black clothes.  They also sat through a sad funeral where people tried to cheer each other up with stories from my mimi’s childhood.  Even though it was a terrible day it was a little better with their support.  It meant so much to know that they would be there when I needed them.  I will never forget how kind and supportive they were on that dreadful day.
   

My family is busy and hectic but, they still find time to come to sporting events.  My aunt has two kids and her own business to run but, still has time to come watch my field hockey games.  It is always reassuring to see a familiar face in the stands and of course it is more motivation to play better.  My parents come to all the games they can catch but, my little brother, Jim plays four sports and also needs their attention.  When my aunt knows my team is playing a good school she will make the hour drive to watch me play.  Last Friday my cousin, Kylie drove from her college to watch my game.  This was really kind of her considering my team was only playing in a scrimmage and not a real game.  She gave up some of her time where she could of have been visiting her boyfriend or parents to watch me play.  My childhood memories consist of going to Kylie’s and Nick’s sporting events.  My mom use to pick my brother and me up from school and drive to their games every Friday.  After my brother had annoyed my mom enough about being starving we would pull over to a small subway and get grinders and potato chips.  This would usually cause us to be a few minutes late to their game but, I did not mind, it was a strange tradition we would do every Friday.  I love to see them play a sport because you can tell they love it in the way they play with confidence and pride.  Not only are they proud of themselves but, I am proud to call them my cousins on the court or field. 

My mom and I travel to Texas every year to see my cousin in her yearly basketball tournament.  Even though she may not play a lot in the games she enjoys spending the time with us and we love to support her basketball career and hang out with her. After one of her basketball games we go out to dinner at a restaurant.  It is my family's favorite restaurant and we eat there every time we visit my cousin.  We sit at the same seat every time we go, a long wooden table big enough to fit all fifteen of my family members.  This tradition is one I cherish each year and not take for granted.  We laugh and have a good time together without the stress of school or work on our mind.  Some people would think that going to the same restaurant and doing the same old traditions over again would get boring but, it never does.  These small traditions are my favorite, there are no worries or complications.
   

Since my grandparents town is mostly farm area I have seen and met a variety of people from businessmen to hillbillys.  A few weeks ago I attended a fair there that had a chainsaw competition.  It was one of the strangest experiences of my life.  Even though it looked scary and dangerous when you actually sat down to watch the show it was quite entertaining.  Just how seeing a soccer game would be an everyday experience this was normal to them.  The people there were dressed like cowboys and carried around rusty old chainsaws.  Although many people’s first instinct would be to get as far away from there as possible, my grandparents joined in on the madness and talked to all the people in the chainsaw competition.  I also got the chance to have a conversation with a few of these people and realized how sweet and generous they were.  They work long hard hours on their farm and then train for competitions.  Denis, one of the competitors has traveled to North Carolina for chainsaw competitions.  “I go every year.  There is a huge competition there” He was so excited talking about going to North Carolina.  You could tell he really loved the sport.  “Go Mark! You can do it!”  They cheered each other on and supported one another even though they wanted to win.  If my grandparents hadn’t exposed me to all these different events I would not be as open minded as I am today. 
   

I have had a variety of friends, test grades, and interests but, I know that my family is a constant in my life that I can trust in.  They would be the first people by my bed if I am ever sick and the first people to encourage me to try something new.  I can not be more thankful for having such a close family.  They push me to be the best I can be and never give up.  Although my family is not perfect they are as close to perfect as possible to me.