For most people, spending time with their family becomes more of an annoyance than a necessity, but for my family, Sundays are designated family days.

Every Sunday for as long as I can remember has consisted of the same schedule for my family: church and then lunch at one of my aunts’ houses.

And yes, it’s just as “Leave It To Beaver” as it sounds.

Here’s what I mean by that. The 14 of us pray before we eat, sit around and share church and family gossip and then proceed to play cards afterward.

We also have traditions that are a big part of our system.

For birthdays, the person gets to pick out exactly what they want to eat for the day (no ifs, ands or buts), one person always makes a trip to Sonic for vanilla cokes and we always have a bunny cake on Easter.

Although this sort of Sunday cliché has become outdated and ridiculous, growing up this way has changed my perspective on what it means to be a part of something.

Sure, I’ve been on my fair share of sports teams, but being a part of the family I’m in has meant more to me than any of that.

My cousins and I balance each other and learn from one another’s mistakes in a very sibling way, and it’s not uncommon for us to be mistaken as sisters when we are out together. I think of them as two of my best friends. Their ways of thinking and our interactions have been a very influential part in my development into the person who I am today.

According to the Child Development Institute, positive self-esteem and appropriate social development occur when children in a family unit are respected and nurtured.

With a strong support system like a family, children are more susceptible to feelings of importance and accomplishment.

Families are taken for granted in today’s society.

Parents are less respected than ever and designated family times are becoming less and less of an importance.

Until going away to Kansas State University, I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed those few hours I got to catch up with the most important people in my life, and needless to say, I’m a whole lot nicer to my parents now.

So while many people are dreading the end of the weekend, I’m impatient for it.

Sundays mean I get to spend that much needed time with my family, eat maybe too much comfort food and beat all of my cousins in a round of Nerts, all things that I believe everyone could use a little bit more of.