Can you describe what your relationship with your family is like?

I adore my family. When I first came to college, I wanted to be super independent. I didn’t break ties with them, but I definitely didn’t talk with them as much. I would get mad at my parents for trying to help me because I wanted to be so independent. Now that I’ve gotten older, I just want to be around them all the time. I have more of an appreciation for what my parents do now. My relationship is very strong with my family.

If you had to say, who do you have the strongest bond within your family?

I think I have the strongest bond with my mom. She’s my role model. I adore that woman with all my heart. My grandma was such a big part of my life, and my mom reminds me of her so much. They’re who I strive to be as I get older. My dad is really hard on me, but he’s such a softie. I appreciate him a lot too. When it comes to my brother, I can talk to him about anything and he won’t judge me for it. We’ve developed that bond. 

Are you the kind of person that likes to keep a lot of friends around you? Or do you only have a select group of friends?

I have a bunch of friends, but I only have a few best friends. I like to keep a smaller group around me most of the time. It’s harder to have trust within a big group of people compared to a smaller group. In my life, I’ve learned that you can’t trust everyone that you meet. It’s a sad reality, but I know now that I have to be particular with who I associate with. I can still get along with a lot of people and I know how to be friendly.

What is your biggest intrapersonal struggle?

I think I struggle a lot with accepting myself. I need to do a better job of accepting all of my mistakes. Also, I struggle with comparing myself to others. People live different lifestyles and go through different things than me, and I don’t always realize that. So I need to do a better job of catching myself before I compare my life to the lives of other people.

How are you improving those struggles over time?

I just have to talk it out and have an honest conversation about it. Whether that’s with a close friend or within my own mind. Once I rationalize it and realize what I have going on in my life, I feel a lot better. 

What would you say is your strongest relationship bond? Family, Friends, Romantic or Intrapersonal?

I’d say my strongest relationship bond is with my family. I value family a lot and I would do anything for my family. They would do the same for me too.

When did you feel that your bond with your family really crystallized?

I would say when my grandma died three years ago. It really hit me hard. I relied on my mom for a lot of things after that. My grandma and I had a really strong connection, so I leaned on my mom to have that same type of connection afterward. That’s when I started having a strong, positive relationship with my mom. I would start texting my mom every day and calling her on the phone every day.