Opinion: Ode to a Family

By Kara Langton

My name is Kara Langton and I am the youngest of my family, which consists of my father, my mother and, of course, myself. Family, as described in the dictionary, is "a fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children." I consider my family to be very important to me, especially when my friends, as well as enemies, are all gone. What it boils down to is, the people who are usually around you on a daily basis are your family. I always count on them for advice, guidance and support in my daily activities.

My family is always there for me, through thick and thin - when I do wrong things, they chastise me, when I do things to deserve praise, I get it. I know they will always be there and for that I am thankful. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. I have to say that not many people are as fortunate as I am to have such a family to support them. For example, I have several friends whose parents abuse them, and they turn to their friends for comfort. Their friends now become more of a family to them than their real family can ever be. There is no love and support for them in anything they do. Their parents can only see the negative aspects of what they do, instead of the positive. I take pride in knowing that my family congratulates me when I do well and encourages me to do better when I don't do so well.

Another thing about my family is that they were there to comfort me when the World Trade Center was destroyed. I was traumatized and unsure of what to expect by the horrific act for the fist two nights. During this time, my parents stayed with me until I fell asleep on both nights. After this disaster, I imagined so many families left without a mother, a father, maybe both. So many people who were left without someone to hold and say, "It is okay." No one there to say, "I love you and I am here for you." You hear of so many families without that special someone there for them. Again, I thank God for having my family around me.

A lot of families experience the negative aspects of family life as some parents are so engrossed in their work and other activities that sometimes they forget that they have families to look after. However, not everyone experiences the lack of family support. There are many families that are supportive of each other. They have family game nights, enjoy each other's company and would do anything for one another. One thin I know is that when I grow up, get married and have a family of my own, I will have open communication, love and support my family the best I can, and be the best mother and wife I can be.

Kara Langton was a student at the Girls Academy of Saint Raymond. She currently studies interior design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.