Tonight, my dad spent his entire evening making my little sister a birthday cake. I watched as he attempted to make two lemon cakes, and then turn them into burnt lemon crisps. Defeated, my family helped by cracking jokes and helping start on round two. In that moment I realized how important the support of family is. In a world of hate and sadness, there is always people I can count on to make my day shine brighter. When I come home from a bad day at work, or when I am going though anything rough, I know they will be there cheering me on 100%.

I have somewhat of a unique situation. I live at home with my parents and sisters while going to college. After going away for a year, it was quite the adjustment, but I am so glad I did it. My family welcomed me home with open arms and I am forever grateful. I would have not made it through the past three years without them. When leaving for college my freshmen year I was so excited to get away, and be on my own. That is when I realized I needed them the most.

My mom is the most wonderful of ladies. She is always there if I need a good laugh, or a shoulder to cry on. We are so alike that most of the time we drive each other crazy. She is my go-to girl, my shopping partner and my life coach. She never fails to put in her opinion on anything whether it is my career choice, or my outfit for the day. I can always count on her to tell the truth, and nothing but. She does not sugarcoat anything but says it in the sincerest way. We may not see eye to eye all the time, but I know her intentions are good and, as we know, mother knows best.

Dan is the man. He is probably the best dad a girl could ask for. He is my cheerleader in every situation and has the largest heart. He is the dad that does it all, he works so hard at his job but still has time to be at every soccer game or cheer competition. He has always put his family first and everything else second. I can call him up at work and he'll always answer his phone just to talk about his day, or what we are having for dinner. Him and my mom make a wonderful team; they complement each other greatly and have worked so hard for everything they have ever gotten in their lives. They are an amazing inspiration.

Being the oldest is hard; you are the test subject and the example. Both of my sisters would have made it through with or without me, though. They are both so driven to succeed that I look up to them. They work so hard in school, soccer and other school activities. Spending time with them is something I am new to doing; my sisters and I have never really had a close relationship until I moved back home. I have since realized how amazing they are, and how much they cherish spending time with one another. They always have my back no matter what, and I can always count on them for a day at the pool or a great time on vacation.

My family is small, but close. I love that. When I was younger I used to see all my friends with their big families and I would get jealous because my family is spread all around the United States. As I got older, I realized I only need a select few, and I am pretty lucky with the ones I have. They are the greatest. I know how lucky I am to have such an amazing little family and that without them I would not be nearly as successful nor the person I am today.

Pro tip: when making a cake, you do not need both baking powder and baking soda.