WHAT FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEAN TO ME

Lily Ladek

4th Grade • Portage School

In my past ten years in this community, my experience has been very loving and peaceful. There are so many examples that feel like family and community to me, let me give you a couple. One of my favorite feelings of family and community is the thrill of riding a rollercoaster as we’ve done together several times, and that thrill has changed over the years as I've gotten older.

Another example of the connection I feel to the community and family is offering/willingness to help. In this time of coronavirus our neighbors and friends have come together to help each other. Even when there’s not something big happening we come together to help each other.

Another one of my favorite examples is the comfort I feel from my grandparents. When I visit my grandparents they always take care of me. That feels like a warm hug and that warm hug feels like community and family to me.The excitement of Christmas or your birthday is a unique feeling and I feel that excitement whenever our community has a block party or a family wedding.

One of my absolute favorites is the food and laughter that brings our family and community together. It doesn’t have to be a special occasion for me. I love to cook and eat good everyday. That connects me to my family. Everyday food is a special gift we all enjoy.

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Something else that reminds me of the connection to community/family is the soothing, relaxing comfort of laying on my cool, comfy couch after a hot, challenging day. This, much like my connection to this community and family, brings me happiness.

Our community and family is very loving and that is displayed in a lot of different ways from prayer and food to a simple smile.

The closeness I feel with my community and family is very much like the joy I feel when a baby laughs.

I love being on the farm with my cousins and helping to take care of all the farm animals. That’s what brings me joy. Even when we farmsat for a week, that was work, but it was joyful.

Summertime is one of the best times of the year, even when it’s really hot. From camping, at the farm, to visit grandparents, on summer break we always have great adventures. This is another way that I feel close to my family and community.

Spring break is also a really good time of year. One, because my birthday is usually on Spring Break and Easter is close to my birthday. Spring is a time of new life for flowers and other plants. We also visit family and friends. That’s how family and community comes into this.

Church is another way community and family come together for me. We work together, we pray together, which feels like happiness and brings me joy. It doesn’t feel like work at all.

A constant feeling in my family and community is laughter. From my grandparents, to my parents, aunts, uncles cousins, friends and neighbors we all joke around. We like to laugh and make each other laugh.

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