The Final 20 of My 20s: Days 2 & 3

“LEAN ON ME”

Wow…..Just Wow.

The final countdown has begun and I won’t lie – it’s terrifying.

I’m not one who gets frightened or spooked easily, but this dirty thirty prank has been just about all I can take. It’s pretty intense and I’m glad I will never see it again!

Do you remember the first time you were truly terrified by something?

Who did you run to? Who is your protection? Who is your support and your foundation?

Mine is my family.

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The DiPanni Family
Family Fun

Whomever originally compared a family to fudge was spot on the money: mostly sweet but still a few nuts thrown in there.

I’m sure that if some members of my family were to write this article, I may be included as one of those nuts!

But just remember – you wouldn’t have years and years of some of the most amazing stories and memories  without those nuts like us!

So, you’re welcome!

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Definitely a few nuts in there….
“I Will Love You – Unconditionally” ~Katy Perry

Families come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I am not so sure there is anything such as a “typical” family; there are so many variations of the word.

While my biological family gathers for some holidays together home in Rhode Island, I am spending these special days with the family I have created in Florida. Many of us have come together during special occasions to spend with each other as we have known growing up with our own families. We share traditions, memories and the best part – recipes!

Whatever your family make up may be, there is always one common thread we all share: the security of unconditional love and support.

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College graduation w/ my mother, Granny, and aunt
 I Get It From My Mama

When it comes to blood relatives, there are many of them on both mom and dad’s sides. However, I’ve always been closest to my immediate family.

I grew up in the same neighborhood in which my mother’s mother, sister and brother all lived. We were very close growing up. I’d spend weekends at my uncle’s pool or on the boat; I’d walk to my Granny’s to play a good game of rummy and maybe if I was lucky I’d win a buck or two.

Even my aunt and uncle’s families settled and raised their children close by, and now their families are mostly still in the same area. It’s just how we are in lil’ Rhody.

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My Uncle Goody and his brat

I spent most of my time with my Granny and Aunt Jane both in Rhode Island and at their homes in Singer Island, Florida. Christmas, February and April spring breaks were all spent with palm trees and pools.

The women from my mother’s side of the family define support and strength. They have always been there for each other and the bond between my mother and aunt is priceless.

My Granny was the third musketeer of that group and without the support of each other, her passing could have been detrimental to us all. Instead, we came together for love and remembrance of the woman who taught us all so much.

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Gran, Auntie Jane and my lil cousin Samantha (another nut!)
Daddy’s Girl

Anyone who knows me well can attest that no matter who comes into my life, there will always be one man that is irreplaceable; the man I compare every other man to: my Dad.

Dad had three daughters in his previous marriage before my mother, but I was the one and only of their marriage, and for my mother.

When I was born, my sisters were twenty three, twenty and thirteen – quite the age difference which made for roller coaster relationships growing up.

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My sister – Lesley, Carolyn & Lori

I was always very close with my youngest sister, but have had to work on the relationships with the elders. Fortunately, over the years, these relationships have become incredibly strong and meaningful.

My sisters raised their families in Rhode Island and Connecticut, and my first niece was born when I was only nine years old. Boy, was I the coolest kid in 3rd grade, or what?

I am proud to say I have five nieces and one nephew from the ages of fifteen to twenty one – I can’t believe it! I am very proud of all them in their own unique way. My ballerina, my horse rider, my minister, my fashionista, my runner and my not-so-little-anymore man.

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Back when they were oh-so-cute!

My dad had two sisters, one whom died prior to my birth and the other lived in the same building as my Nona when I was growing up. It was a double whammy when I got dropped off at Olneyville Towers in downtown Providence for the day – food, fun, crafts, plants, and more food. That’s just how it was.

My Nona came to the USA from Italy when she was a young teenager and unfortunately lived in poverty most of her life. She and my Papa Louis made a life for my Dad and his sisters by working in factories and mills every day of their lives.

My father was able to overcome those shadows and raise his daughters in a good home with food on our tables every night, shoes on our feet and a proper education. The love my father has for his family is stronger than anything in this world. He lives and breathes for the good of his family.

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Lean On Me

God has truly blessed me with the family He has given me and the love which they provide. I honestly can’t imagine anything different, and don’t know where I would be without them.

No matter how far we are apart or how long it has been since we last spoke, I know that I can pick up a phone and someone from my family will be on the other side to listen.

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I hope that my family sees me as someone they can depend and lean on.

Every family has its faults; every family has its flaws. But every family has the capacity to embrace each other with an overwhelming power of respect and appreciation.

If I start my own family one day, I hope that I am able to be as strong of an influence as my own family has been to me; I hope I will set a good example through not only my words but my actions.

I am very protective of those in my family, and I will always strive to be better for those I love and appreciate. They are the driving force behind my success and motivation to achieve and do good things in this world.

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I am NOTHING without my family, as it is  EVERYTHING to me.

 

 

 

 

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 Tiffany E. DiPanni is the Chief Marketing Officer for County Line Chiropractic Medical and Rehab Centers in South Florida, USA.

Tiffany E. DiPanni is the Chief Marketing Officer for County Line Chiropractic Medical and Rehab Centers in South Florida, USA.         @CountyLineChiro
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One Response to The Final 20 of My 20s: Days 2 & 3

  1. Another great post from the heart Tiffany, kudos!

    “When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching — they are your family.” ~Jim Butcher

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