“You will have 35 notecards due Monday… Oh, just finish this assignment for homework...band rehearsal is Wednesday...make sure section leaders get there early…”

It had only been two weeks into the school year and my schedule was packed. I slowly found that I had only seen glances of my parents’ faces, either when I came downstairs to get dinner, or in the morning before rushing out for school. I ended up being out of the house for 10-12 hours a day, and then having three-four hours of homework. However, even when I was feeling exhausted and mentally drained, my family was there for me. One little member in particular. Almost every night my aunt and I would facetime, she’s the cool aunt, if you know what I’m sayin’, so we’re very close. Her child, my little cousin, is five years old and we instantly click together. He’s a smart cookie for someone who’s that small. All of a sudden however, the phone calls died down. I had no time to call them, and even if we did talk, they were a quick “Hey! I’m busy right now, I’ll call you later.”. So, a week had gone by and I finally called my aunt at night. My little cousin was awake and desperately wanted to talk to me,

“Nishi didi (older sister), Nishi didi, why don’t you ever call anymore?” he frantically looked at me, analyzing every part of my face, as if I had become a stranger.

“I’m sorry, Ishaan, I just haven’t gotten the chance honey.” I looked up at him, surprised at how much he had missed me.

“I know you’re busy but please don’t forget about me. I love you and I miss talking to you about our. I know you feel tired but please make time for me.” he said, gasping for air as he rapidly explained his feelings.

“I’m sorry honey, I promise I’ll call you at least twice a week, okay?” mimicking the puppy dog eyes he was showing me.

“Okayyyyy, so let me tell you about the new toy we bought from Target…”

I never expected someone so small, to understand such mature concepts. We all get preoccupied with school, work, and extracurriculars, and for some reason, we start giving up time for those who matter most. Many of us want to get the straight As, have leadership positions, and get a job. We pile all of this on our plate and then we start giving up time with our family. We even choose hanging out with our friends, over a simple evening spent with our parents, watching a movie or having dinner together. Success is important, trust me, but so is your family. So, maybe next time, even when I have 35 notecards, leadership duties, and a band rehearsal, I’ll take time to catch up with my family.