In our progressing and ever-changing world, many things at home are different than they once were, including the average teenager’s attitude toward their family. December is all about the holiday season, and the holiday season is all about family. A large portion of this month is spent celebrating with them, and without a positive attitude, this time of the year could be a living hell.

Occasionally, when I log into Facebook, I see statuses that scream, “I hate my parents!” As a person with one parent living in another state, and the other hardly home due to work, there are few things that frustrate me more than seeing people who don’t appreciate their families. I get mad at my parents, too, but to take it so far to use the word “hate” crosses the line.

Who bought our cars that we drive to school, work and to hang out with friends every day? Who’s buying our gifts this holiday? Our parents sacrifice a lot to make us happy, and how do we repay them? A lot of us sneak out, party hard and, honestly, just make bad decisions. Then we get angry when we have to face the consequences. Our parents only want us to be safe and sound because they care about us, as unbelievable as it sounds, and the best way to make sure that happens is to keep us at home. The easiest way to see it is to put ourselves in their shoes. It can be hard to accept responsibility for our actions, but as soon as we do that, and we make a sincere apology, getting along with our families will become much easier. To put them through the pain of feeling hated by someone they love is the ultimate disservice. One day, they will be gone and we will regret not spending more time with them.

The holiday is all about spending quality time with loved ones. As much as we dislike them sometimes, our families are included under that title. Life can be rough sometimes, but through everything, our families are the only ones we can count on under any and all circumstances. Sure, that can mean counting on them to be annoying and bothersome, but when we need support, our families are the first ones to come and the last ones to leave. Under all the teasing and pestering is love. We will never be lonely having a family who cares about us; don’t let their love go unappreciated, especially this holiday season. Make it a good one.