We Are Family

I have no real concept of whether it's just me, just my family but every single cousin's birthday constitutes of a big family get together with everyone and a ridiculous amount of food.

add that to the fact that my Auntie has spent the last 10 or so years popping out babies like they're going out of fashion, with my cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents as well as Easter, Christmas, New Years, Melbourne Cup, ANZAC day, etc I pretty much have a family gathering every month.

But now I'm 18.

I don't have to go anymore. I have my Ps, I have my car, I have my life, I don’t have to go to my cousin's 9th birthday if I have other plans. I actually did have other plans but I went anyway.

It's been more than 2 months since I've seen any of my extended family and I was starting to notice. 2 months isnt a long time in the grand scheme of things but when you have an 18 month old cousin, 2 months is a long time to miss out on. She's almost talking now.

I missed my family. I missed my cousins, my auntie, my grandparents and the most amazing food in the world.

I wrote this next bit a while ago when I had the first of my "My Family Is An Integral Part of My Life" moments but the point still stands, I love my family and I couldn't imagine my life any differently and I can't fathom that other people don’t have this same relationship with their families.

It’s A Family Affair

Family events consist of a multitude of noise. Kids yelling and shouting, arguments - half in Italian, constant chatter (also half in Italian), laughter and the football (whether it be AFL or EPL), ever present in the background, no matter what time of year (with the exception of the first Tuesday in November when the Melbourne Cup reigns across widescreens). They're loud and they're long but it's family. Quality time. It's warmth and it's love and it's belonging. It's my life, my family and I wouldn't change it for the world.

I pick up a bread stick, my baby cousin in my arms (she's really starting to get heavy now). "You can't be a wog without breadsticks," I tell her, remembering my own childhood.

Babies, who want to have what the adults have, get handed bread sticks to chew on, but you can't do much without teeth. It all ends up in a soggy mess, below a toothless smile.