How Happy are We

"How Happy are We." A saying that one of my Aunts would say when we are all enjoying a happy moment together. "How Happy are We," meaning how incredibly blessed we are to be surrounded by the ones we love. "How Happy are We," to be healthy, loved, and get to live the life that we do. Almost everyone loves their family and who they grew up with. I can personally say I did and can cherish so many laughs and memories. Though we've all gone through our hardships, we always found a way to celebrate our greatest achievements together.

Growing up with such a large family has been such a blessing. Being one of the youngest in the family, I pretty much was born with already having best friends before I even knew it. All of us were pretty much together 24/7 playing and giving all of our parents the BIGGEST headaches. WE LIVED THE LIFE! And I say that because we were fortunate enough to have a townhouse in both Key Largo and Bimini - the two places where we caused the most chaos. We played games like Chicken in the Dark (basically Hide n' Seek in the dark), Manhunt, Sharks n' Minos, the most extravagant Easter egg hunts with the "Golden" egg (if you know what I mean...$$), another form of Sharks n' Minos (we called it Sharks n' Minos Extreme bc it was played in the marina), Follow the leader (which never ended well), and so many more games our creative little minds could think of. No matter how crazy the idea or game, we all took part in playing.

I remember like if it was yesterday when we were all in Key Largo - I think for Easter - where we ALL decided to play the biggest game of Sharks n' Minos. Even some of our parents played, which if you know the size of our family there is 17 kids ++ some parents playing. So, if you saw that pool, it was like nothing you could probably imagine or even begin to explain to someone. It was chaotic but the memories made that day were like no other.

Another vivid memory I have was being in Bimini probably when I was 8 or 9 and we played a game of charades - the game was built like the action tape you see in movies and you placed cards on top and had to act out whatever the card said before time ran out and it dropped. We played this game one night and I don't remember what my uncle was try to act out but we were all deliriously laughing and when one of us finally guessed what he was acting out, he went to grab the card before it fell, he missed and it dropped.

We even have our crazy food memories where my dad would make his famous tacos and I swear we, in total, ate like 200 tacos. Or how the fried turkey has NEVER made it to the table because, like vultures, we wait the second it comes out of the fryer to fight till the death for a piece. Or a simple memory as smelling the Cuban coffee in the morning.

All these memories are what family means to me. The crazy, little things that some might take for granted but mean so much in the future. We are the family that sings way too loud and not in sync when its someones birthday. We are the ones that I can promise you will be first to the dance floor or the ones that might drink too much. We are the ones that won't ever leave someone out. Because "Family" isn't only defined by last names and blood. It's defined by commitment and love. Its about showing up when they need it most. It means to have each others backs and choosing to love each other even on the days you might struggle to like each other. Its about never giving up on each other and thats what family means to me.

I am so incredibly blessed to have such a supportive and loving family. So if you are reading this, Hey!...How Happy are We!! I love you guys so much. Thank you for being my #1 supporters and always bringing a smile to my face.

"How Happy are We!" - Cristina Cabarrocas