I was once asked what the main influence or supporting factor in my life was? This required that I take a step back from my present life and search the experiences of my past. The answer that I came up with may be one that many people say, but to me it goes beyond just saying it, it is living it. The supporting factor in my life is my family.
Family truly is the cornerstone of my life. Last summer I was diagnosed with depression. I was absolutely terrified of telling my family. Would they be ashamed or disappointed, I had no clue. The day that I finally decided to tell my mother was after one of the worst weeks of my life. Thoughts of death were constantly on my mind and I got to the point where I had to tell someone or else I would end up hurting myself. To my surprise, my mother was completely accepting of me and wanted to help. Through talking with my mother it became aware that this type of open communication is what I have always looked for in my life. Immediately my fear of having this disease was gone. I call it a disease because it severely impairs a person from living a normal happy life.
That day I also learned that my brother struggled with the same problem. This created a bond between us that was never there before. We now use each other as a support system when we are having a difficult day because we understand each other’s emotions.
I have supporting people all around me that want to see me succeed and that is a rewarding feeling. When I am affected by hardship, so are they. They share in my joys and my pains. I have come to learn what a family is and what it is not. A family is not just a unit of people occupying a space together. It really is a caring collaboration of unity that relies on each other in every situation. I can say with confidence that if they were not there for me in my time of need, I may not be here today. Like a cornerstone of a building which provides a foundation of stability, so is the family in my life. They hold me up, support me, and through them I can stand strong in the face of my afflictions.