My life has had many ups and downs, but Christmas just seems to be the perfect time to remind me of them specially my downs. Every year my family gathers around a large table to enjoy a large meal surrounded by family and loved ones. We eat and talk about the year’s events as well as the latest episode of Lo que la vida me robo. We all talk and laugh, but every year for as I can remember all the conversations turn to me. Why me? There are so many other people we can talk about why does it have to be me?
    

They all start remembering about my failures and stupidities.

“Remember that time we went tree swinging and Helen held on to the wrong side of the rope and feel down the cliff”? I hear someone say over everyone else’s conversation.

“Oh my god that was funny”! one of my cousins shouts as he falls off his chair in laughter. They all keep talking about that day. The day I got over my fear of heights.

“Oh yea you should have seen her face it was so funny” another family member adds to my torment. I just laugh and try to change the topic.
   

The subject changes and they start talking about sports and who was winning. Some celebrate and some cry. Then someone again shouts again interrupting the conversations. 

“Do you guys remember the time Helen farted in a fashion show while on stage”?  The crowd then starts talking and laughing again. The remind me of one of the most embarrassing days of my life. I was hopping no one would remember that but I guess they did.

“ She should have gotten the gassy award because she sure isn’t classy”, adds in other cousin. They keep making jokes and I just laugh along because there is no use of getting mad.
   

I was feeling irritated because they only talked about the bad things about me. They kept talking about how Jackie had perfect grades and how Brian was great art and dancing. Then there was me the clown of the family. Then things changed when someone remembered my sports streak. A man’s voice broke the crowd and said,

“ Well Helen has made the team all three years of middle school. Lacrosse, basketball, and soccer. Her basketball and soccer skills have improved and she hand dead lift 70lbs.” The conversations then shifted they now talked about how I could beat my six feet tall cousins being 4’9. I finally stared to feel good about myself. I was so thankful of who ever had said that. Then I realized that the most import man in my life had said that. My dad and coach. He has always pushed me to do more than my best. I was happy I finally made him proud.

That year a learned that memories and important, both the good and the bad. They help me learn from them. I also learned that making those mistakes were worth it. They might have been the worst, but at the end they made the funniest stories. They made us laugh and really be connected as a family.