Explain the meaning of a family ritual that is important to you. Describe the ritual in a way that implies the importance it is to your family.

          The most important thing to me in my life is my family. They hold the biggest place in my heart and so do the traditions that we share together. Of all the traditions that stand out to me I would have to say the one that does the most is a tradition that my family has just about every Sunday. It is probably the most simple tradition that we share but it is one that means a ton to me. Every Sunday my family has a " family" day where we spend the day together. We begin our morning with church if we did not go the night before. Before church, or after church my mom always puts together some type of big breakfast. My favorite is when she makes pancakes and eggs which is just about every Sunday. Throughout the day most of us do our own things, many Sundays I will either go to the Library to catch up on work or go walking or some type of exercise with my sister. It makes for a very relaxing and layed back day. If my whole family is available we will generally take a ride to some of our favorite spots or we will go for a family bike ride and stop for ice-cream or go shopping at an outdoor mall. My favorite part of the day is at night for dinner when my mom makes a big dinner for us all. It is the perfect way to come together before the start of a new week. It helps us all to talk and be with one another before our busy schedules set in again. My mom makes everyone's favorites for dinner, my brother and my parents love steak so she makes steak and delicious sides. My sister and I love fish so my mom is always sure to make my sister and I fish and lots of delicious sides to go with that my favorite is the sweet potatoes or some type of sauteed or grilled veggies to go with it. We all gather together and talk and laugh and it seems to always just be the perfect way to end our night. Once we are through with dinner I always help my mom clean the dishes and later she has some type of dessert ready to put out or we make a big bowl of popcorn on the stove top which is my absolute favorite. Of all the traditions that my family shares together it is almost funny how one of my favorites is so simple, eating dinner together. Dinner is something people all around the world enjoy but it is truly something that means a lot to me and it is because it is shared with my family and It is something I would never trade for the world. My mom always shared this tradition with her parents and when my grandparents were alive they would always be at our house or we would be at theirs. It is truly something that makes me look extremely forward to the week and it is something that I never want taken away, Sunday dinner with my family is more than just a meal it is a true memory ones that I will have for a lifetime and forever. My parents hope to always keep this tradition and that even when I get married and have kids of my own someday to keep visiting for Sunday dinner with my parents. It is a tradition that means a lot to me.

What does it mean when I say       ?

What does it mean when I say happiness. Happiness for me is enjoying life and time with my friends and family. Happiness for me is also a routine. I absolutely love routine. I love when I have a specific routine to follow and I absolutely love to be organized it is truly what has made things in my life possible and turn out successfully. I would have to say that my life also revolves around a ton of my running. I absolutely love running. It is something that truly does distress my mind and clears my thoughts. It has helped me get through many difficult situations. I truly love it and have a passion for it. Running comes with an appetite and I know that I need good nutrients and fuel so I would have to consider myself a big foodie. I love cooking in the kitchen with my mom and making dishes to enjoy. I also get a thrill out of packing my lunches everyday. It seems that I enjoy these things and they are a major combination of what make me happy. Without the ability to run or cook or do the things I enjoy I think it would be more of a struggle to be happy than it is. Running is something that I can do alone or I can also do it with others, Throughout my running career I have made a number of different friends who are now like family to me. It is something that I am truly passionate about. I have a dream of becoming a cross country coach as a side job when teaching. I love trying to work with others and make an impact, of course a positive one. It is important to me that more people are educated on how to live a healthy and happy life. It truly starts with loving yourself and doing what you love, not what others want you to do. I truly believe that the key to success is happiness. If you do not enjoy what you are doing than it is going to be extremely difficult to go anywhere in life or make an impression on anyone. It is also important that you be yourself and stay true to who you are. In highschool there were many pressures to conform and there was tons of competiton as to who was best but then I realized it was about what I wanted.

                is like

Running is like walking down the hall of fame dedicated to you

When running it is one of the most amazing experiences. It is an activity that is hard to compare to any other daily activity. It is an activity where in your mind you are solely alone in the world. When running it is simply you, your body, and your mind. When you get into the zone of running it seems like a totally enchanting experience. It is time when you literally just get to reflect upon yourself and the day that you had or what you have been going through in life or the things that you are anticipating. I have found or come up with some of my best ideas when running. It is a time where I feel strong and powerful It is similar to walking down a hall of fame in that it allows me to reflect upon myself and the person I am. It is inspiring because it is time that I give to myself and collect  feelings that I have or the things that I want to do. It is exciting and when you are doing it you truly feel like the only person in the world and it is one of the best experiences you could ever have. Also cooking is like molding a masterpiece. It allows you to create beauty and is something that your senses can divulge into and truly enjoy. It is important in this world to take time to take in the beauty of things and cooking lets you do this it allows me to slow down and truly appreciate the food at the table or the elegant masterpiece I have put together at the table. It is both fun, enjoyable and appetizing. It is also for me a form of freedom, as a picky eater for many years cooking allows me to cook what I want and the way that I like it. It is also like a huge hug from my grandma the warm feeling that I would get from hugging her is similar to the feeling that I have when I enjoy one of the dishes it sparks memories and moments. Food also brings up memories for me. Specific dishes make me think of specific memories or moments in my life.