Tradition-Relaxation-Value by Anna K.

Living in a society that’s so focused on what they wear and the things they have.

It’s hard to separate yourself from that and think about what’s really important. Real value is something that you can’t buy, it’s a constant idea that you can always rely on. It’s something that can never be taken away, you can’t loose it or sell it, and it’s always there. Do we overlook this concept? Is it something that never crosses our mind, until its right in front of us?

***

I wake up on Christmas Eve and smell the brilliant vapors of my moms cooking. I go downstairs to scope out the situation. I was helping my mom and grandmother in the kitchen when I hear a car coming up the driveway. My cousins, aunt, and uncle have arrived from New York City; my aunt usually gets me clothes from old navy. I appreciate that she thinks of me. My cousins and me unpacked the presents from the truck and placed them under the Christmas tree. My cousin tells me all about her friends and school.

When my mom and grandmother finish cooking, we sit down at the table and get ready to eat. Before we eat we say the traditional prayer. We join hands give thanks to all the things that we have. During dinner we all talk about the latest events that have occurred. We talked about school, work, and life in general. Being surrounded by family makes me feel at peace with my environment.

When dinner is over we all gather around the Christmas tree and were all ready to open presents. A tradition in our family is we open all of our presents on Christmas Eve, and we usually stay up late seeing what we have gotten. I find it special that we can get together on such holidays. Whenever our family needs help, no matter how big or small, we’re always there.

***

I feel tired and bored with no homework to do, so I take out my mp3 player and begin to fall into a world of song. Costing around $100, it keeps me calm and serene. As it turns on the sound that I am so used to comes over me like a gentle wave on the shoreline. I sit on my bed with my headphones securely on and sing along to the songs.

The songs become part of me and after a while I don’t even have to think about what I’m saying or singing it just comes to me. All I think about is the music, the artist, and the lyrics. When I’m in a peaceful place I actually think about what the artist is trying to say in his/her song. I want to know more about the song, if it really happened to the artist or if they had nothing better to talk about. But, when the headphones come off I relocate back. I’ve left that world behind and my journey had comes to an end.

***

I value my family gatherings and my mp3 player in different ways. My mp3 player sends me into a world where only I and my music exist. I can think, feel, and act as I want without any ridicule. But, during gatherings with family I feel at ease in another way. I love being around family. Whether it’s a Christmas Eve dinner or any other event. There’s nothing like the feeling I get when I’m around family nothing could replace it. However they are similar because I value them both. They help me get over a stressful day or week.

I think that the main difference between something you buy and something priceless is that I could live without financial things but I couldn’t live without my family. When something priceless to me it can not be replaced and it’s something that I can always fall back on. Whenever I feel stressed or have a bad day I just think about when I’ll see my family again. Family is very important to me. When you buy something and it gets lost, all you really feel is rage, but if you were to loose you family, you’d loose a part of yourself.