One Sunday afternoon...

Before anything I need to apologize for the resolution of this picture. But. I love it. I love it most because it's of me and three of my family members; something that has a crucial role in my story, and also because it seems so random. But if you knew my family, you would understand. If you look at the details, this picture has several factors that can start to unravel how we function and why I am who I am today.
First, I'll introduce everyone. From left to right: my cousin Jon, my sister Steph, my cousin Joe, and the one that can't sit in line with the rest, me. We all grew up as if we were siblings and our happiness could come just as quickly as brutal honesty could make someone cry. We were kids and we acted like it. Looking at details, a surprising amount can be read of our family. Jon and Joe are both wearing Green Bay Packer apparel. The Packers, football, cheese, and Wisconsin all hold places in our hearts. Football was the purpose of every Sunday, cheese was a given in my home state and also happened to be the livelihood of my father.
Next, the bowl of chips that we're sharing.. and also the apple. We were allowed to have junk food if we shared, and we did. It was an exciting time, as you can see from me holding up a ruffle, and we didn't want it to be taken away. My parents made sure we ate healthy and that has stuck with me today. They expect us to take care of ourselves and that included our diet. The apple was given to my sister because she had a notorious cavity record.
Also, if you look close you can see that Joe is holding a basketball. My mom didn't like us to play rough inside, so the fact that a basketball is allowed shows the importance of a boy in our family playing sports. He would grow up strong and tall if he played sports. Additionally, a little competition and ambition to strive for something was a good thing.
Finally, the fact that we're all sitting on the floor. I'm not sure what we were doing but we didn't care. We were content just being together eating our snack. The point is the floor we are sitting on: good ole linoleum. This floor was put into our house for the durability for children and because of its ease to clean. We were not always the neatest but wanted things to look nice. It was also before my parents had enough extra to put in a more costly, hardwood floor. They worked for what they got, and this same work ethic has been instilled in us all from the beginning. A bit of a stretch, maybe, but it was the American Dream; each man could work his way up.
My family has kept me humble, bonded me to the state of Wisconsin, embedded a love of football and ambition to do well, given me a strong work ethic, and reminded me that good relationships in my life is what matters most.