Have you ever felt as if there’s something missing from your daily life and it’s the only thing that can keep you going no matter what the situation? Well, that’s how I’ve been feeling lately about my family back home in Jamaica. I left Jamaica when I was 10 years old, and this past January it was 6 years since I last saw my extended family. It’s been very difficult for me to cope, especially since all of my uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins are in Jamaica and only my mother and sisters (along with a few of my aunts) are here in America. This has affected me emotionally because starting all over again and having to adjust to a new environment by dressing a certain way, eating different foods and going to a new school has been extremely hard. I miss my grandmother’s cooking and the way she always knew how to put a smile on my face whenever I felt down. I also miss being in a place where I only have to speak one language. It’s very hard now because I have to speak mostly English here in America to those who don’t understand my first language (Jamaican patois).

Sometimes I wonder what activities I would be doing with my family if I were back in Jamaica, or if my life would be any different than it is now. Although I’m sure a lot of us can say that our families can be annoying sometimes, I think it’s very important to be around family because they bring out both the best and worst in us. Thankfully summer is around the corner, and I’ll be able to spend time with my family in Jamaica and catch up on times that were lost. I’m very thankful for my family and my advice to others is to appreciate your family and spend time with them. Life is short so I try my best to enjoy it with my family whenever I can.

-Kayla