It's that time of the year again when everyone is thinking about what they are thankful for. This year I am thankful for many things such as my friends, job, education, and most importantly my family. Here are some reasons why I am thankful for my family this holiday season.

1. They are my motivation.

Everyone has their own motivators and my motivators are my family. I am very thankful for their motivation, even though at times they can be quite annoying. However, at the end of the day if I didn't get a text from my uncle asking "How are you doing in school? Are your grades to heavy to carry home?," I wouldn't work as hard as I do each and every day.

2. We have many memories together.

I am thankful for the memories we share. I have so many memories going out on family vacations to the Jersey Shore or to Disney World and the family football games on Thanksgiving and Super Bowl Sunday. These memories I have with my family are things I cannot wait to tell my future spouse and children and I hope that they will have a similar experience.

3. They taught me how to be strong.

My family members have shown me the true definition of strength. Each one of my family members have gone through various challenges and struggles, but have shown us what it is like to be strong and keep your head up. They have taught me that no matter how bad it is right now, it will get better.

4.They are my best friends.

There is an old adage that says, "you can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends." Well whoever came up with that, you deserve an award because I live off of that saying. My cousins are my best friends. Whether it's a FaceTime, Snapchat, Facebook, or Text Message conversation, I can tell them everything and anything.

5. They are always proud of me.

That's what great about having a close family. They know everything. Yes, EVERYTHING. This can get super annoying at times; however, I wouldn't have it any other way. It is amazing because when they know I did something cool, I am sure to know just how proud of me they are.

6. They remind me what is important in life.

I am thankful that my family reminds me what is important in life. They keep me grounded and keep me humble. They have given me a passion to serve others in all I do and to make sure to give back to the community. If they didn't instill this lesson in me, I wouldn't have found my passions within the community service I complete.

These are just some of the reasons I am thankful for my family around this time of the year, but these are not all of the reasons I am thankful for them. It is important to keep in mind that during this time of the year, not everyone has the greatest relationship with their family, but rather their friend family. So if you aren't that thankful for your family or your friend family, that is OKAY. The thing that matters at this time of the year is being thankful for what you have in your life or what is important to you. And if you think no one will be thankful for you, just know that I am thankful for you. I am thankful for you because without you the world wouldn't be a place that we live in today, because each one of us, no matter how small in comparison to the entire global population is important to this world and making a difference in the environment we live in.