It’s spoken of in hushed tones at family gatherings or mentioned with concerned looks as “that” family member enters the room. No one wants to call it what it is. I don’t even want to, until now.

In moments like this, I never want us to lose sight of the things that still matter. The world would lead us to believe that our lives don’t matter, but they still do. We absolutely must continue to pursue our goals, dreams, and passions.

I was always sort of hiding how everyone in my family didn’t get along. How every gathering turned into an argument until we stopped gathering altogether. How jealousy and resentment ran rampant amongst the different age groups. It wasn’t until I was thirteen and in high school that I realized more families had similar issues to mine than I thought.