My Crazy Beautiful Life

It is nearly impossible to write a synopsis of my life to this point, and do it justice. To start, I have probably one of the most loud, intricate, and involved families that there is to have. Growing up in a family where 'extended' is not an option- everyone is considered immediate family- makes almost every get together seem like a party. I have 13 first cousins- most of which are girls, and four of which have already had their own children. Four of us are in college and the other 3 are in high school, meaning there is always something to talk about.
I guess I should start with the foundation of our family- my great-grandmother, or affectionately referred to as Nana. She is 101 years old and still kickin'. Though my great-grandfather passed away before I could get to know him (from cancer, speculated to have happened because he was a coal miner all his life), he seemed to be the perfect match for my Nana. He was a sweet, hard-working Italian man that came from nothing, and she is a sweet, disciplined Polish woman that came from a poor farming family of 17. Needless to say, the Italian-Polish combo bred a very loud-mouthed, talented cooking family of their own. My Nana takes time every year, even now at 101, to bake Polish sweet rolls with us at Christmas time, and Italian wedding cookies with us during Easter. I have learned most of my life lessons with my Nana in the kitchen, and things that she taught the generations before me have also shaped me into the person I am today.
The most important part to me about having a close-knit family is the support that comes with that. When I was 7 years old and needed a massive hip reconstruction, I had family by my side every single day, from the time I got my first X-Ray to the near 6 months later when I was still on crutches. I've always had family surrounding and supporting me from softball games, to breakups, to high school graduation, to college, and so much more. I cannot think of a single thing in my life that I have had to go through alone. And I know that I am so extremely lucky to be able to say that, because not everybody has that.
My family prides itself in being rich in tradition and very family oriented. I've learned to work hard for the things I want, and to cherish every moment that I have with the ones that I love because it can be taken away in any given, cruel instant. To this point in my life, I have done just that. I call my grandparents nearly once a week (if not more) just to catch up and see how they are doing, and I spend time with my sister and cousins every single chance I get. Which usually results in some kind of chaos that we get in trouble for, but hey- what are kids for?
I could go on and on with words of love and affection about my family, but I won't. Mostly because my cousins are here with the new babies (they live in South Carolina) and we're about to sit down to a delicious family dinner, which I can smell all the way up here in my room. But know that I love my family with everything I have, and they solely are responsible for shaping me into the leader, and person that I am today.