“Desperate Housewives” actresss Eva Longoria loves life and gets her sunny disposition from a supportive family.

In an interview with Parade magazine, Longoria says, “I’ve learned there’s no better medicine than laughing. (My sister) Liza is mentally challenged. She was my hero growing up. It was a blessing to watch her overcome every obstacle – tying her shoes, putting on a shirt, getting out the front door. And yet she still had a job and would come home on the bus by herself and help with dinner. You could only imagine the hurdles she encountered every minute of the day.”

She even credits her sister for helping with her career, saying, “You don’t take health for granted. You don’t take life for granted. It seems so insignificant to go, ‘Darn it, I didn’t get that movie role,’ or, ‘Darn it, so-and-so is wearing the same dress as me to the Emmys.’ “

Overall, Longoria loves her husband, Tony Parker, family, friends and job, saying, “I love life, in general.”