Every family is a little bit weird. My family, however, is a little bit weird a lot of the time. For most my life, I wished my family possessed the same qualities I saw television families posses. Unlike sitcom families, our dinner table was usually a circus of a crying kid, my dad sitting shirtless at the head, my sister trying to sing like Christina Aguilera, and a steaming pile of tortillas. All I wanted was a quiet, fully-clothed meal where we passed bread rolls, not a plate of beans.

What I've come to realize is that there's no such thing as normal and as long as love abounds, a circus is tolerable.

A few days ago, my dad called me. He was about to board a plane, but dialed my number before take-off. Jazzy, I just want to let you know that I'm proud of you. I had to call and say it because I really am proud of you.

In a matter of seconds, my dad brought a lump to my throat. I mean, I know my dad is proud of me, but to hear him say it? Well, it felt like swimming in honey: sweet, slow, and golden.

It made me realize the power of words. We possess the ability to gift our friends and loved ones sentences of affirmation, but so often we let them dangle in our minds, never putting them on our lips. If you're proud of someone, be sure to tell them. Beyond making their day, it might remind them what it feels like to be loved in the uniquest of ways.