twenty three.

Family. This joy outweighs any of the other joys in my life.
I have a very small immediate family. My parents, princess, and me. However, I have a quite large extended family. I am extremely lucky to have wonderful family members on both sides of my family. Some of them, I consider to be my best friends. All of my family is amazing!

Most amazing are the parentals! Both of my parents are very special to me. I am an only child, and I am very thankful for that fact. I don't think that I would have the relationship that I do with my parents if I had siblings. In that way, I am very selfish. I consider myself very lucky because my parents aren't merely my parents, they are my best friends. They may not always be proud of the things that I do, but I know that I can tell them anything and there will be no judgment. I love them so much and don't know what I would do without them. Their love for me and lack of irritation with me surprises me constantly. They are such amazing people and I am so glad that I get to call them my parents. I hope everyday that I can be as selfless and loving as they are... not only to me, but to the rest of their family and to their friends. They do so much for other people and never ask for anything in return. I rarity in our world. I thank them for the values that they have instilled in me... for all of the encouragement given and even the tough love that they have shown me. I only hope that one day I will be able to do the exact same things for my children. They are joy.

Photo by my uncle, Phil Schmidt