Torika's Story: My Family

When I was in third grade, our writing teacher told us we had to do a paper about our families. And as I listened to the other kids begin to talk about their moms and dads as they started brainstorming for their report I began to get a little sad. I started to realize I really didn't have a family, at least not a real one. My mother was in a coma because of me, and my father was almost always busy. I went home that day and stared at the paper and pencils in front of me and began to cry. Just then my dad came in and asked me what was wrong.

     "I have to write a paper about our family, but I don't really have one!" I said.

     "What on earth are you talking about? Of course you have a family," My father laughed. Here I was miserable and he was laughing. He pulled two juice cans out of the refrigerator, the ones he normally saved for after our kung fu lessons and handed one to me. He grabbed the chair next me under the kitchen table and sat down.

     "But I don't!" I pouted, "Not a normal one like the other kids. I have you, but I don't have a mother. Mommy is in the hospital and you're away a lot because of work. And I don't have grandparents either,"

     "That's true, your maternal grandparents are both gone and you've never met my mother. And when I go on trips to different digs or when it's finals and lessons run late I'm not around a lot. So where do you go when I'm not here?"

     "With Uncle Tori. And when he's busy I stay with Maddy and Tai and the Greenings,"

     "And they're not family?"

     I paused and thought about my dad's question. He had a point, "Okay, Uncle Tori is definitely family, but a dad and one uncle isn't very much. And the Greenings don't count,"

     "Why not?"

     "Because we're not blood related. Mommy and Mrs. Greening were best friends, but we're not really family,"

     "Family isn't just about blood. Blood runs deep, and nothing can ever sever those connections but you don't have to be related in order to care for someone. What makes a family a family is the fact that everyone cares for each other and takes care of each other. Would you let Maddy or Tai be sad just because you aren't really brother and sister?"

     "Of course not," At that moment I understood what my father was trying to tell me, and he was right.

     "So you think you can work on your report now?"

     "Thanks Dad, I appreciate you talking to me," I smiled and gave him a hug. He patted my head and got up to go to his office.

     "Don't forget Torika, we're having Kung Fu when I'm finished grading,"

     The next day everyone went in front of the class and took turns reading their reports. Some people talked about going to baseball games with their dads and going shopping with their moms and how their grandparents showed them a temple they visited when they were kids. As each of my classmates took their turns, I began to get a little nervous but when it was my turn Maddy and Tai patted me on the back and gave me the thumbs up.

     I walked to the front of the class, crunching my paper a little in my hands. I turned to face the class and cleared my throat a little. I looked to the teacher and then looked to Maddy and Tai once again and I had to smile.

     "My Family, by Torika Showron. My family is different than other families. At first I thought my family wasn't very good, because my mommy has been in the hospital for a long time and my dad works a lot but now I know I'm actually very lucky because I have lots of people who love and care for me.

     "First is my mommy, even though we haven't been together because of her accident, I know she loves me because my dad always tells me how much she liked to take care of me, and how happy she was when I was born. And even though my dad is gone a lot, whenever he's around he always looks after me and takes care of me. He always tells me stories of my mommy when she was a kid, and adventures at his digs and stories he's heard about different cultures. He also teaches me kung fu, and even though I fall down a lot he never gets mad, he just tells me to get up and try again, because if I just work hard enough, he knows I'll get it right one day.

     "And when my dad had to go on trips, I stay with my Uncle Tori. My Uncle Tori is very rich and gives me lots of presents all the time, but he never has to because I'd love him even if he was poor and worked at a Mongolian Barbecue. He's very funny and nice, and even if he and Dad fight all the time, I know he loves me. But he isn't the only one who takes care of me, because I also have a brother and sister. When Dad and Uncle Tori are too busy I stay with my best friends in the whole wide world, Maddy and Tai Greening. Maddy and Tai's mommy is always nice when I stay with her, and calls me 'Triplet' because she treats me like a third kid and their daddy always helps me get things off of tall shelves and sometimes helps me with homework even he can't do it either sometimes. Then there is Maddy and Tai. Tai likes to tease me because I'm short and clumsy but when I'm sad he always makes me laugh and when other people try to pick on me he beats them up. Maddy likes to make outfits for me. Sometimes they look kind of silly, but I know she always puts a lot of love into them so I always like them. Some people might say the Greenings aren't part of my family, but they'd be wrong. It's like my dad says 'What makes a family a family is the fact that everyone cares for each other and takes care of each other.' And I know my family loves them, and I love them very much too. The End,"

     I recently found that old paper when I was going through my drawer. And when I read it I had to smile, because in those few short years since then my family only grew. Because I became the Cardcaptor I got my mother back and I finally met my paternal grandmother and my aunts and cousins. I met Natsume and Hana and they became part of my family too, I couldn't imagine my life without them. Then there's also Kero and Yue, Tsuki and the Cards. I care for them more than anything, and I know they love me too. I never forgot what my father said about family and I never will.