~George Yerid, Class of 2023

Even in hard times, family drives you

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. 

~Jane Howard

Family is the one thing that drives you. Even in times I was alone, lost, and cold, I knew that I needed to be with my family. I know, even through clouds of teenager feeling and annoying little things, I can always rely on my family, even when that’s the only thing going for me, even in the most dire circumstances. 

When I was abandoned on top of a ski mountain, shivering and stuck in my feelings, I knew I needed to stand up, figure it out, and get to our hotel room. The only reason I got down that mountain was the thought of my mother looking for me. 

        As the nine-year-old me glared at the jackets of the rest of my ski instruction group, I moved away from the way down, sat down, and thought. It took the lifts shutting down to realize I needed to move, family became the only thing in my mind. As I wandered through the village-like setting of Stowe, Vermont, tucking through crowds and ducking into random shops and hotels, the stones clanking under my ski boots, passing a brand-new, shined up, showoff-ish Mercedes SUV, I finally found our hotel and walked through the halls, trying to make myself inconspicuous and unnoticeable. The only thing I cared about was finding my family. 

As little me rocketed down an easier run, I just needed to be back in our hotel room, being hugged and loved. As I sank to the cold black tile in front of our hotel door, I was eagerly anticipating the return of my mother, and to be happy and warmed by the love of my family. 

Family is one of the few things that can motivate on a higher level.