“Count to 10 and breathe in and out.” or “Just listen to music and ignore everyone else.” Are the kinds of words my cousin Sammy tells me when I start to feel dizzy or anxious around people . I usually start to feel like that when I feel uncomfortable or when I am overwhelmed with emotions. Sammy is always there to help me whether it is homework or just emotional problems. She has become a great support for me. Sammy is 16 years old, tall, and has short dark brown hair.She has two younger sisters and a younger brother that get on her nerves most of the time. Sammy is caring, strong, positive and she always reminds me that there is more to life than being sad all the time.

My cousin is positive and tries to make you a better person. When our family insults her because of the way she acts or thinks about certain topics, she ignores them instead of talking back to them. She often tells me to not argue with them because they will just insult us more. Even when she argues with her siblings she does not let anger take control of the situation.

Sammy is caring and she is always there to listen to me when I feel upset. When I moved to mexico I got an email from her that said:

So how r u liking Mexico? U know for some reason it feels so lonely here and 4 some reason I cried a while ago when u called then the next day too. So reply back okay. And Mel I finished a picture and Jack I really had kiddy songs back then(found an old cd of mine) oh and how do u put a video in a cd? Also when u get a phone give me ur phone number either u jack or Mel :) I have so much homework :( last time I said I said I wasn’t going to MX in the summer I changed my mind I am going and I’m going to bug u.

I kept that email so it can remind me that someone cares when I feel lonely. Over the summer of 2014  I started feeling a bit more upset than I normally do because I was having difficulty coping with my emotions, I read the email or I went over to her house so I wouldn’t feel as lonely. When I am with sammy, I feel calmer because she makes me feel more secure about myself.

I see my cousin is an inspiration to me because she has overcome many challenges. As she got older, she stopped talking to most of her friends because she did not feel comfortable around them, so she didn’t really have a support group to lean on when emotions got too hard to handle. Sammy is the type of person to smile even when she is struggling emotionally. She either writes down her emotions or talks to her mom about them. Currently Sammy is working on how to manage her anxiety and she gives me tips on how to handle mine.

Sammy is my inspiration. She has helped me overcome so many emotions. I look up to her because she doesn’t care what other people say about her. She cares about her family even if they sometimes get on her bad side. She is hardworking and I know I can go to her whenever I need help. Sammy is caring, strong, and positive but most of all she is my inspiration.