Family has always been a beacon in my life. Something I always run back to in dark times, despite our bickering and complete differences.This family photo, taken in our first home, is one of the few we have from the past. It's a colored photo of my parents, older sister, and me sitting on the couch, while my younger brother stands in front of the camera. We sit unposed, all sporting different hats, which we found represent a part of us.  We took this picture around 2013 and have kept it on display since. The photo captures the playful nature of our family and a unique part of each of us. Nobody was ready for the photo, yet we kept it, capturing figuratively and literally how we aren't a picture-perfect family. We work in our own unique ways, complementing each other's flaws and individuality. The photo highlights us all shining in our own light.The photo is framed in my current house and has traveled with us, from the heart of Boston to its outskirts, carrying memories from the past with it.Getting to walk past this photo every day reminds me that, despite all the challenges and fights our family has faced, we work things out together, as a family, each carrying a piece of one another. Having this reminder lets me remember the people I grew up closest to as the ones I always come back to, who let me shine with a part of their uniqueness.

– SM

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant