From a young age, I was surrounded by family. My grandparents lived a mere half mile away and I saw them at least twice a week. My aunts and uncles visited several times a year and called me by phone and sent letters. I knew when my cousin had school performances. I knew when someone was going on a business trip. I even knew all of my extended family and what was going on in their lives. I recognized that my family would always be there for me when I needed them most.

But over the years, things changed. My grandpa, the most influential person in my life and one of the people I loved with all my heart, died. He was my rock. I trusted him because he always knew what to do and he taught me the morals that guide me today. My grandmother fell under the spell of dementia, and was no longer the warm, caring woman I knew. My Aunt Jane and Uncle Bryan moved from New Jersey to Massachusetts. My cousin, who is like a sister to me, traveled to Virginia for college and then moved to Chicago for a job. I began to wonder if we were the same close-knit family.

Then I realized, it doesn’t matter how frequently you see your family, whether it is once a week or once a year. If you have support from your family and you know they love you, nothing else matters. Distance and busy schedules can’t affect how your family feels about you.

So, even though things have changed, I still feel close to my family. And I know that a simple phone call, or the promise of chocolate, will have my family rally around me. And that’s all I can ask.