Pancakes are a breakfast classic, enjoyed with a nice pat of butter and warm maple syrup. For the past sixteen years, I have made classic blueberry pancakes with my dad, crispy Bisquick pancakes with my grandpa, crepes with my mom, and even created my own pancake masterpieces. As I have changed and grown throughout my life, the pancakes around me have done the same. Some of my earliest memories are of making pancakes. As a child, I would wake my dad up and pull him downstairs. After feeding our dog we would get to work, throwing flour, butter, eggs, milk, all the necessary ingredients into a bowl. I could never mix the batter for long before my hand would cramp, so I sat on the counter and watched my dad do the work. My job was pouring in the frozen blueberries. They would swirl around, making the batter indigo. After my dad had thoroughly mixed the batter, we would scoop it out onto the griddle, let it sizzle, and then flip the finished pancakes onto a plate. These Saturday mornings spent mixing pancake batter are some of the fondest memories of my childhood. My dad was not the only person I made pancakes with. Once a month I would spend the night at my grandparents' house and when I woke up in the morning we would always make pancakes. My grandpa would measure out the Bisquick powder and stir in the other ingredients while I sat on a tall chair watching. He then poured the batter into perfect circles and pressed dried cranberries into the top of each pancake. This sour and sweet combination along with the crispy texture always hit my taste buds just right. After all the pancakes had been cooked, we would head to the back porch. My grandma poured Aunt Jemima's syrup all over hers but I thought they were perfect without anything. These simple cranberry pancakes remain my favorite; Ever since my grandpa died four years ago, no pancake has ever tasted as good. My mom and I also share pancake memories. We always made crepes. Crepes were not a weekly or monthly appearance in our house, instead they were a special treat. The batter is not too hard to make, it is easily whipped up in a blender. The mixture is supposed to rest overnight, but more often than not we neglected that step out of laziness. The hard part is the cooking. The pan has to be just the right temperature to fully cook the batter and create crispy edges. When flipping each crepe you have to be gentle, making sure not to tear it. For most of my childhood I watched my mom flip crepes, marveling at her talent and eating them fresh out of the pan with sugar and lemon juice. Eventually, I would be able to make my own crepes. At some point in my childhood, my parents made a decision that we needed to eat healthier. Out with cow milk, in with almond milk. Out with rice, in with quinoa. We still had pancakes, but they were never the same. Instead of following the pancake recipe in the Joy of Cooking, my parents found recipes on mommy blogger websites. Now when we make pancakes the ingredients include whole wheat flour and chia seeds. As much as I miss the old pancakes, I am happy when we have our new version. I know that eating healthy is a smart decision. Even if our pancakes taste like cardboard now, at least I can be healthy and strong in the future. As I grew up, I mastered the art of making pancakes and crepes. For my sister's birthday I made a rainbow crepe cake with four dozen crepes. I made them without tearing any. Whenever we have breakfast for dinner, I volunteer to cook pancakes, still admiring the indigo batter. All the skills I have came from watching those I love. If my dad had not spent countless hours whipping up pancakes with me, I would be hopeless when it comes to making them now. If my grandpa had not opened my eyes to interesting flavor combinations, I would still accept blueberry as the superior flavor. If my mom had not demonstrated how to flip a crepe, I would not be able to make them as effortlessly as I do now. My family members are not the only ones I enjoy pancakes with. A couple years ago, I took my friends to IHOP before we went to a concert. My friends laughed at me when I ordered pancakes à la mode for dinner and I laughed back when they chose to get granola pancakes. After ordering we messed around with all the syrup bottles on the table, opening and closing them to look like mouths. The pancakes seemed even better than usual that night. This was not the best period of my life, but getting to smile and talk with my friends over pancakes made at least one night a whole lot better. Throughout my life the pancakes I enjoy have developed from simple blueberry pancakes to extravagant crepe cakes stacking up to the ceiling and I myself have gone through such changes as well. I have enjoyed making and eating pancakes with all my family members and friends. They have helped develop my tastes and cooking skills tremendously. I have had amazing conversations over pancake batter. I cannot wait to see where pancakes take me next.