My family is starting to arrive one by one. As they arrive, I greet each of them with a big, warm hug. I have not seen many of these relatives for a couple of years. They are coming to Park Rapids for the Fourth of July. Many have just spent up to five hours in the car traveling here to celebrate. Although tired, everyone is ready to play some traditional Fourth of July backyard games. We start a fire and, by tradition, cook hotdogs over it. We wait for everyone to arrive before we begin. My family’s traditions are something I cherish, and that is where my passion begins.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines passionate as ‘having very strong feelings or emotions’. I would explain this word more in depth. The meaning is much more than just having strong feelings toward an interest. To me, it describes the action of loving something so much you never want to let it go. It is an object or activity you really enjoy or enjoy doing that it brings you happiness. The connection you have with it is unbreakable. To be dispassionate means to not enjoy life, you don’t know how to enjoy life. It means you don’t care about the things that are close to you. Dispassionate means you live life deliberately, you don’t take risks. Life throws curveballs at you and you fall down, you can’t handle them.

From when I was a kid to now, sports have always been important to me. They have had a big impact on my life, which is why I am so passionate about the activities I play. I work hard in all my activities, allowing me to excel. Year after year, I become more in love with what I do. I am dedicated to my sports. I put my all into them, making the passion come easy. In tennis, I try to set a good example for younger players so they can enjoy the sport as much as I do. I don’t just teach them the fundamentals of tennis, I teach them how to have fun, and how to enjoy what they are doing. My goal is to show them how to love the sport.

After everyone finishes up eating all of our favorite Fourth of July dishes, we split up into teams for our annual North versus South soccer game. My family gets very competitive, and although it can get intense, we still have fun. In this soccer game, no one gives up. We all have the desire to win, but only one team can claim bragging rights. The way we can all come together and enjoy the same thing makes me happy. I refuse to not have fun with my family. I refuse to not be involved. We have a blast when we are all together, and by the end of our favorite weekend, no one ever wants to leave.

My friends have always told me that I am a passionate person. Especially with the things that I love. When I love, I love intensely. Sometimes, it turns into a slight obsession. Passion is a good quality to have in life. It makes life more energetic and exciting. I am not only passionate about the things in my life, but my life. Oprah Winfrey once said “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what exists to you.”

Singing brings me joy. I am constantly singing. When I sing, the words hold meaning, they speak to me. Every word makes me more passionate. The words fall into my mouth as if I wrote them myself.  It has become a part of who I am. I build up strong feelings for the way music makes me feel. I am able to find myself through singing. It goes in one ear and flows through my entire body. Trapping the song in my mind, I close my eyes and let the music generate my voice. Singing can change my mood in a blink of an eye. That is why I sing. Singing brings out my emotion. When I hear Alicia Keys or Miley Cyrus, my heart begins to race. Their voices take me somewhere else. A place where I can be emotional. I am not a very emotional person, so singing has that power to bring out rare emotions in myself.

The soccer game ends with the North taking the trophy. After we all cool down, we enjoy ice cream together. The ice cream is homemade, giving it special meaning. I look forward to having times like this with my family. Looking back on how my family has always had fun, it makes me hold these memories forever. It makes me think about if I lost one of them, how sad I would be. How much I would be missing by losing just one person. It’s like my family is one big chain and if I lost someone, there would be a missing link. My family means the world to me, and when I’m with them, they bring me bundles of happiness.

As I have grown older, I have come to realize I am a big fan of the Vikings. My favorite player is Adam Thielen. He is a wide receiver, and one of the best in the league. Every week, I make sure I know what time they play, who they play, and if my Thielen jersey is clean. My friends tell me I am dedicated to the Vikings and have a crazy desire for Adam. He is the reason I started watching football. On the field, he shows so much passion for the game. That is why I love him and the team so much. My support for them has grown this past year as I have purchased Vikings socks, a Vikings lanyard, and a Vikings sweatshirt. If their success runs out, I will still be cheering them on. They can always count on me to believe in them, and I can always count on them to bring me a strong feeling for the game.

We finish the day out socializing, playing yard games, and yes, shooting off fireworks. As the fireworks burst into the air, we lay our heads back and thank all those who fought for our freedom. Finally, we remember Grandpa Dick, the man who fought for this family. Standing in a circle, holding hands, we say a prayer for him. The Fourth of July was his birthday. We remember him for all he has done for us, and how thankful we are he made this family strong. He taught me to never let go of what is right in front of me. He taught me by showing how he took advantage of every opportunity he had. The lesson he wanted me to learn was to never give up. To be grateful for what I love and to hang on to what is important to me. I want to thank him for introducing me to what I found out is passion.