Growing up, I was always surrounded by family. My dad grew up in Germany and came to the United States of America when he was in his 20s. He was the only one in his family to immigrate here, so seeing his side of the family is always more difficult than seeing my mom's side. My mom, on the other hand, grew up in New Jersey and her family still lives in New Jersey, with the exception of my aunt who lives in California. My mom's side of the family is Italian and the stereotypical Italian family is the exact depiction of mine. If you've seen "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," my family and the family in that movie are exact clones -- sometimes my cousins and I think that movie was written about our family. I see my mom's side of the family at least five times a month and spend 85 percent of my summers with them. I would not trade that in my Italian family for the world. Here is why:
1. We are as close as a family can get.
We go on vacations together to various locations all over the world. We spend every holiday together. We have family dinners at least once a month. We go shopping together. We FaceTime together. We have family group chats on iMessage. Anything a family can do together, we do.
2. I always have a constant support system.
Whether something amazing or terrible has happened in my life, I can always go to my family for help and support. We always have each others' backs and family always comes first. We'd fly to anywhere at any time if one of us needs help.
3. I will never go hungry.
Italians love to cook, and cook a lot. One year, we had a surprise party for my grandma's birthday -- we were eating leftovers for literally a year. There are always enough take home bags from every dinner we have to feed an army. We even have extra food for the pups in the family.
4. The memories and laughs can never be replaced.
My family and I have so many jokes and memories that I can never replace. Whether it's my grandma's green plates that are older than all of her grandchildren or the time when we all went to Italy for a couple weeks, I always have a smile on my face when I am with my family.
I love my family so much and am so thankful to have a family like mine. If you have an Italian family, then you can relate. Growing up, I never truly understood or appreciated how close-knit my family is. Now, my family is my favorite thing and my best friends. The thing I will miss most while I'm away at school will be the family dinners, spontaneous shopping trips into New York City, family Pictionary games that turn into War World III, and overall just being with them. So this article is a shot-out to my family. Thank you for always being there for me and supporting me. I love you all so much.
