"It does not matter what story we are telling, we are telling the story of family."

This past weekend, all of my family came together for a family reunion to celebrate my grandma's 80th birthday. At first, the idea of having to spend my weekend with all of my family seemed unbearable. However, after the weekend, I realized how entertaining and rewarding family vacations can actually be.

This weekend was filled with drama, laughing, crying, eating, drinking, playing games, yelling, screaming, hugs, kisses, and more drama but I would not have wanted my weekend any other way. I have come to realize that my family is a bit on the crazy side, but that is why I love them.

It never fails in family reunions that I get asked a million of questions. "How's school?" "Are you getting good grades?" "Why don't you have a boyfriend?" "What do you plan on doing with your major?" "How's work?" It seems as though the questioning is never ending. Then comes the idea of my family always wanting to always help, and although it is a nice gesture, it can be overwhelming. As a broke college student, I am always financially struggling and my family sees that. It never fails at family reunions that I leave with some cash in my pocket that I have been given from family. Although the questioning may get annoying, and the money is only a temporary solution, my family is always looking out for the best interest for me and I appreciate that more then anything. Family really is everything and are always there when you need them and that means everything to me.

"Families are like fudge-mostly sweet, with a few nuts." The great thing about family, well my family at least, we are all so different, yet so similar at the same time. When you have different personalities in one room, it either means a great time, or a horrible time. I think at one point, everyone in the family was upset at someone else at some point during this weekend. Whether it was a silly argument over what percent milk to buy, who will wash the dishes from dinner, or even having someone turn of the music that everyone was listening to without permission; every moment was still memorable. Despite the disagreements, we were still able to all enjoy each others' company. We were able to make my grandma's 80th birthday one of the best ones she has had thus far. As a family, we made memories that will last us all a lifetime.

At first, I was regretting this weekend because I know my family and I know how everyone gets when they are all together. I am beyond grateful I was able to come up and have family time though because I ended up having a lot more fun than I expected. This long weekend made realize how important family reunions really are and are very much worth it.

Often times, I feel like we take advantage of our family and we don't appreciate them. Friends will come and go, but family will always be there no matter what. I feel as though we should spend more time with our family as it can not only be entertaining but rewarding as well.

"A family reunion is a time to remember, a time to laugh, a time to celebrate and a time to share old stories and make new memories. A time to see each other in the faces all around us and find reflections of ourselves in hearts both young and old."