I grew up in a Big Fat Italian family. We love each other through thick and thin. On occasion, we've been known to drive each other crazy. There is drama and gossip and ridiculous banter, but we are tight and at the end of the day, no one can take our family away.
Growing up we broke bread together, ate huge Italian dinners together for holidays and all our family events: weddings, baptisms, anniversary, birthdays and funerals. Our family continues to change and grow year after year.
When we "break bread" with our friends, for dinner or holidays, it takes the friendship to a whole new level. Those friends crossover into the family zone and there's something special that sticks. There's a bond that forms indefinitely.
Today, I live far away from all my family, but when I do see them, its always like I just saw them yesterday. It's that constant in my life that reminds me I can always change for the better, even when some things in my life never change.
When we do make time to be together with family, we remind each other of our love, and that it is okay when we can't be together, the love and care never dies.
Certain relationships in our lives will stick and stay strong and solid. Being part of a large family taught me this. The warmth and understanding is innate and I tend to carry this over with close friends.
I hope my boys learn to always give of themselves. They are huggers, super sweet and caring, but as they grow, I want this to carry over into their adult lives, never to be forgotten. Although, they don't have the same large family upbringing, when we visit my family, the boys are embraced, as if we all lived closer. It's amazing to watch.
Family and solid friendships can be that constant in our lives to keep us grounded when life throws us a curve ball and we need trusted relationships to fall back on.
Thank goodness for my big fat Italian family. I am who I am because of that constant in my life. We know who we were and who we are at all stages of life. We have laughed and cried and learned. We change, yet we are still the same.
The video below takes me right back to my mother's home when I was a kid. Thanks to my favorite cousin for posting on Facebook and being my inspiration for this blog post. I love ya cuz!! No matter how many miles separates us.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?sns=fb&v=0Swzvm-gXHg
