Family Roles

I like the quote “Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one.” (Unknown) This just reminds us how different we are as individuals in a family but we are all bound together as one. Families are all so unique because each individual member of the family has different personalities, attitudes, goals, and dreams. This is what makes being a member of a family both difficult and wonderful at the same time.

My parents always said that each individual member of our family was born with a distinct personality that could be detected from day one. My oldest brother Andrew was a child that was always going. You rarely found him sitting around doing nothing. This paid off for him as he worked very hard at BYU-Idaho and earned 2 degrees; one in Financial Economics and one in Applied Mathematics. Ellis is my oldest sister that as a young child was afraid of nothing. She was self-driven and always set her goals very high. She has always worked hard for her dreams and it will be exciting to see what she can accomplish. I am the third child in our family and was always so shy but very stubborn. As a young child I was afraid to put myself out there without my younger sister being there to help me every step of the way. I have since learned to stand on my own but it took quite a bit of practice. My younger sister BreAnn has always been so easy to get along with. She is always looking out for the underdog and is so kind to everyone. My youngest sister Anni is the comic relief in our family. She has always been so clever and quick witted. She just makes everything funnier in our family. Her personality is bubbly and she is always fun to be around.

All the members of my family have certain roles that make us who we are and brings us together as a family. Even though we all grew up in the same house with the same parents, its so interesting to see that we all have different personalities that makes us who we are. It makes us unique from each other and from everyone else. My brother Andrew has the role of leader. He tackles every challenge that comes his way. My older sister Ellie has the role of being “queen bee.” The whole hive revolves around her and she makes sure she takes charge over everything which is nice when you need something done. Then there is me. I was the middle child, but never felt left out or neglected. I was sweet and kind and just got along with everyone even though I can be bit stubborn and feisty. My role was the mother hen; always looking out for others. My younger sister BreAnn always had everyone’s back. She always wanted to do the right thing. She had seen all the mistakes from older siblings and never wanted to make those same mistakes. Her role is the over achiever. Anni is the “chosen one.” She is the baby of the family, but she acts older than her age because she has grown up with all older siblings so she acts pretty mature. She does keep us laughing and also plays the role of the family clown.

Something that makes a family is that each individual person has their own unique roles and personalities. The roles we take on are a result of not only our position in our families but also the personalities we are born with. The differences each individual brings to a family causes struggles, and trials, heart ache and pain, but these same differences also brings, laughter, happiness, support and most of all love. I am grateful for the family that I have and wouldn’t trade them for the world.