It has reached that point in my school life where I have to practically swim through seas of textbooks and mock exam papers in my room to get to my bed. So, of course, coming home in a tired, dishevelled mess is a daily thing for me. Nonetheless, my mum is always there - all smiles - with my steaming hot cup of tea in her hands. She times my arrivals perfectly. Every time. She helps me - a heap on the floor - to my feet and asks me how my day was as I sip moodily away at my tea, uttering nothing but groans in response. She still listens; somehow also deciphers them. It is a one way conversation and, the moment I finish my tea, I'm off upstairs to my room faster than I've demolished the biscuit. It's like the whole thing might just as well not have taken place. But I realise now that if, one day, I were to come home and not find my mum standing there with a cup of tea and her Fox's biscuits, I would truly be lost.
We must learn to appreciate the family we are lucky enough to have whilst we still have it. Next time you complain about how your dad has not bought you the latest iPhone, how you wished your brother did not exist or - if you are a parent - how your daughter is always "stroppy", step into their shoes. Perhaps your parents cannot afford to buy you expensive gifts because they are struggling to keep a roof over your heads. Perhaps your younger brother pesters you on a daily basis but looks to you, the grown up sibling, for guidance. Perhaps your child is giving you attitude because they are enduring a living hell at school. These vexations may get on your last nerve but remember that you too must drive your loved ones up the wall on occasion! Acknowledge the little things they do that bring brightness into your life. How you would be lost without them. Because, one day, I will come home and not find my mum standing there with her tea and biscuits. But, what I don't want to do, is look back and think, "I wish I showed her how much I loved and appreciated her more often."
We all have our 'off-days' and they have the power to make us feel incredibly disheartened. But, taking the time to give your sibling a hug - even if it's completely spontaneous - or say a simple, "I love you" to your parents will immediately lift their spirits. You will be surprised at the delightful feeling you will get from it and, also, what you will get from them in return. Just like you, they have their 'off-days' and the simplest sign of love from you might be all they need.
Megan
