Written by Laura Atencio
- Urguayan/Australian
- currently living in Sydney, NSW, Australia
Family are those who stick by you. They are always there, through thick and thin, whether you want them to be or not. They cultivate the experiences which affect you in every aspect and they create a major impression on your personality and your identity. They are the ones who ultimately define you.
Personally, I am definitely NOT a part of one of those well behaved, dining room table, glass house, TV advertisement families. Weʼre more like one of your crazy stereotypical Latino families. We have our many completely non-functional moments and sometimes, I truly think you could make a TV show about us and all our little insanities. And weʼve got it all. Mother in law issues, middle children syndromes, sibling rivalry, that one crazy uncle and dramas of all shapes and sizes. We all range from scientists, to major Zoo animal trainers, historians, mothers, fathers, refugees, small business owners, doctors, etc. Weʼre all just about as different as you can get. But here's the thing, no matter how ridiculous or lonely things get, if you ever needed any of them for any reason they would all be there in a minute. Or less. These are the kind of people I consider family.
My family branches out across the continents. Weʼre from all over South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. And theyʼre just the ones by blood. Sharing experiences and finding unique connections with people can run down just as deep as blood; and so much of the time sharing the same genes is only a small part of what it means to be a family. Recently Iʼve begun to realise just how much all these people have affected me. And just how much Iʼve effected them. How many of their mannerisms and odd habits Iʼve unconsciously picked up and how theyʼve affected my opinions of everything from music to politics.
The inner working of a family can be so intricate and delicate, perhaps comparable to a spiderʼs web. Each person, a silver string, holding the entire web together and acting as one of the strongest materials on this earth. Every family will have its own values, interests, moralities, things they consider important and each family finds its own unique way to work. In saying this, just as there is no such thing as a perfect person, there is no such thing as an ideal family. Everyone has their own personal perception of what ʻa familyʼ means and its importance as an individual and on society. To me a family is the first floor structure or framework of a person. Itʼs the place where learning starts and the guide to the values which will govern the rest of an individual's life. Here we learn how to communicate and interact with the world around us. Itʼs why it is so important to create the best environments for families to grow and to practise tolerance, equality and respect as they translate into the values which shape societies.
So I will go on continuing the lessons my family has taught me over the years and hopefully my family will keep on growing and evolving and causing me absolute beautiful chaos and in the words of the rock band Kansas, “Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done”.
（Laura Atencio / ラウラ・アテンシオ）
Next: International exchange 2: Kaho Miyata
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