I am from a house of 5

I am from Jewish tradition

From Japanese heritage

From early mornings all week going to school

From a quiet neighborhood

The only sound, a high-schooler dribbling 

Past dark

A house filled with life and love

Plus the cat hair

The smells:

My Grandma’s baking wafting through the air

Every year different smells come

Latkes sizzling in the hot pan of oil

In Chicago, at my grandparents’ house on Christmas Eve

Eating the delicious pork chops my uncle made

But other things waft in my house

Music blowing through like a gentle breeze

Finger nimbly playing a melody on the piano of joy, sadness, and peace

Or the feelings that move through our hearts as me and my family bond

We may have our differences but we:

Eat, drink, live, breathe, play, cry, laugh, together 

Always together

And within these walls of my house magic happens

The magic of, love, art, and joy

But hard work is what has got us here

Weekends full of school instead of doing what I love with my friends

Long homework hours

Parents that work every day of the week

Anger and frustration

Fighting with my sister

A fog of exhaustion not unlike the fog that blankets my city

But it is all worth it, for it has given me a family

An awesome, supportive, marvelous 

Family

A family that will support me through this time of unrest

While we battle through lock-down and not losing our minds

But still, they stay

And forever and always

Through all eternity,

The only family I will ever need

The family I appreciate

The family that will support me

Even in times of need

Times of distress

TImes of desperation

But never-the-less they will be there for me

This is where I’m from