By Spencer Cerceo ‘25
Visiting family is important. Special holidays like Christmas and Easter are used as breaks for families to get together and catch up with each other. This keeps a family’s bond strong and the love alive. However, when you start seeing your relatives less and less, that leads to growth between each other, and over time it starts to grow.
Due to the busy holidays, school, sports, and work, my family and I were unable to visit my grandparents over Christmas break. Even though we talked to them over the phone, it had been a handful of years since I had seen them in person. The crack between my grandparents and I was growing.
My mother said, “With the holidays being such a busy time I feel it is hard to travel. It was easier to get away to visit family for a quick trip once the holidays were over.”
Two weeks after winter break had ended, my mother, brother and I decided to take a trip down to Florida and visit my grandparents. Even though we were incredibly busy over the break, we did not lose sight of the importance of visiting family.
Taking time out of our week to visit was very important for me but also my younger brother who had not seen my grandparents very much. A lot of people may look at this and think we just made an excuse to escape the cold weather of Chicago and go enjoy the sunny Florida weather, but it is not. Yes, we did enjoy different activities, but these activities were making memories for my little brother and me to remember forever.
My grandmother said, “I was filled with joy as soon as I saw my daughter and grandchildren walk through the door. It had been so long since we had seen each other and finally, they were standing right in front of me.”
This trip was not just for my family’s benefit, but also for my grandparents. As time passes making visits will become harder and harder. My grandparents will also be able to cherish the moments we had together on this trip forever. Having us there brought joy to their daily lives. From sharing stories at the dinner table to walking on the beach, these moments gave them something to cherish.
Our trip acts as a reminder of the importance of constantly building relationships. Whether it’s a walk through a sanctuary or collecting seashells at the beach, these moments become lasting memories. In a busy and fast-paced world, I highly recommend to everyone to keep bonds with family alive. Missing school or work can be made up, but memories you make with family last a lifetime.
