There’s something deeply therapeutic about being around family. The laughter, the inside jokes, the memories that come up without warning, all of it reminds you of who you are and where you came from. Being with family is like holding a mirror up to your truest self. They know your story, your quirks, your highs and lows, and they’ll always tell you the truth, even when it’s not what you want to hear. Family keeps it 100.

I miss that energy.
The spontaneous laughter over old stories. The side-eye when someone brings up something you swore everyone had forgotten. The way cousins are really your first friends, the ones who knew you before you even knew yourself. I think about how often I used to pop up at my cousins’ houses or get invited over for little get-togethers that turned into full-blown cookouts or all-night conversations. There was comfort in knowing that no matter what was going on in life, family was just a few blocks away.

Now that I live thousands of miles away, that kind of closeness is something I crave. Years go by without seeing the people who shaped so many of my best memories. And while technology helps, it’s not the same as being in the room, feeling the energy, smelling the food cooking, hearing everyone talk over each other in that familiar chaos that somehow feels like peace.

It hits me hardest when I think about my kids. They don’t have cousins nearby, no spontaneous playdates with family, no growing up together like we did. It hurts my heart a little. But they’re making friends, and I remind myself that community can be built wherever love lives. Still… there’s nothing like family.

Because when it’s all said and done, those shared moments, the laughter, the love, even the criticism , that’s what keeps us grounded. Family is and always will be HOME.