Family

This weekend was filled with family events. On Saturday May 31, it was my Nonno’s birthday (Nonno is a grandpa in Italian.) He turned 71! My Nonno and Nonna are like a second set of parents to me. My mother and I lived with them after her divorce for 5 years until she remarried. They got me ready for school, they fed me, they got me ready for bed; they took care of me while my mom was busy with work. I don’t want to make it seem as if my mother was never there for me because she most definitely was, but they were there to care for me when she couldn’t.

Heart                             

My Nonno has had heart problems for my entire life. When I was about 3 he suffered from a massive heart attack and was in the hospital for weeks. The doctors told him he had to make some changes in his lifestyle otherwise he would die from another heart attack. Since my Nonno and Nonna are 100% Italian, he’s only ever known his lifestyle of being outdoors, in his garden, building a variety of things such as decks, benches etc. Although he knew he had a bad heart, he didn’t let it affect his lifestyle, until I moved in to his house.

Angel

He’s always told me that I am his guardian angel. He says because of me he was able to settle down and change his lifestyle so he wasn’t straining his heart anymore. Instead of focusing his energy on things that required hard labour, he was able to play with me. I kept him busy, but healthy.  Years later he got a pace maker put in, and thank god. Last summer his heart completely stopped beating on him. The pace maker shocked him 3 times to revive him. He spent weeks in the hospital and I was unsure if he’d make it to see me compete in the Miss Tecumseh Pageant.

There no matter what

The day of my pageant he got released from the hospital, but I still hadn’t heard a definite answer of whether or he’d be attending or not.  Show time came and while onstage I noticed where my family was sitting in the crowd, and there was my Nonno, smile on his face. It brought tears to my eyes to see that he was able to make it there to support me.

Family continues

Today I’m off to my cousin’s 10^th birthday party. There will be swimming, food, and family time. The weather is gorgeous today, no clouds in the clear blue sky to stop the sun from shinning. It’s not overly warm to the point where it’s uncomfortable, but just warm enough to enjoy the sun.  I am so fortunate to have all my close relatives living close by, so we can celebrate and spend quality time together.