My Italian Childhood

As a little girl I was treated like a princess by my loving Italian father and mother. I felt like the center of their world. They made me feel immensely loved and so secure. My world was protected from ugliness, violence, or sadness. My parents truly gave me a beautiful, good, and protected childhood. Though I did not have much materialism such as toys, trendy clothing, vacations, and other pleasurable children's activities, I nonetheless, have extraordinary warm, fuzzy, and beautiful memories of my  Italian childhood in America. I will always cherish these childhood memories with nostalgia because I literally had no anxieties or worries because my parents loved me so much and provided so generously for all of my needs. I must say however, that although I was always put on a pedestal by my dear, loving parents, I was also disciplined by them with great love which eradicated the possibility of my ever getting too spoiled. I felt utterly safe, utterly loved and utterly taken care of because Papa and Mamma were always present in my daily life during my entire youth. My father worked every day from Monday to Friday but he always came home by 5:00 pm and we always had dinner together. My mother never had a job outside of the home and lovingly took care of my every need as a child, adolescent, and young adult.. She prepared three meals a day for us and never missed a day except the day when in my freshman year of high school, she abruptly found out that her beloved father in Italy had passed away whom she had not seen since our coming to America in 1956. When I was in elementary school at St. Tarcissus I remember coming home for lunch every day from school followed by a totally delicious and nutritious home-cooked supper together with the family. Everything Mamma made was made from scratch from her soups, pastas,gnocchi, risotto, polenta, breads, pizzas, vegetable dishes, fish and meat dishes to desserts such as biscotti, plum dumplings or crepes. I marvel now at all the dishes that she lovingly and laboriously made for us every day. True Sacrifice! Even as a child, deep down I always honored, loved, and deeply respected my parents for the beautiful human beings that they were and for all of the sacrifices that I knew they had made for me. Yet,  I was incognizant of the fact that my Mamma was always  my role-model of true femininity,womanhood and motherhood that modern femininity would be telling me to renounce. Yes, I did go out into the attractive modern world and I did all the things my dear Mamma was not able to do but in the end, I always would hold dear to all that I learned from my exceptional Italian Mamma.  I learned more from her than from all of the knowledge I amassed from my college degrees.What I learned from Mamma, especially from her deeds rather than from her words, would ultimately mold me into the wife, the mother, and the woman I am today.  St. Francis told his followers to "preach at all times and if necessary, use words.....that describes my mother to the tee! I think that my dear mother and father through their foundation of their catholic faith tried to essentially emulate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph who served each other and others with humanity and dignity. My parents tried valiantly to serve each other and to serve their children with humanity and dignity. I will forever be grateful to God for the blessing of having them as my parents!  Today at mass my dear husband and I heard the gospel of St. Paul in which he tells us to be slaves of the Lord and not to sin because in serving the Lord, we will truly be free. In thinking of my self'giving Mamma and Papa who served us with charity, I can better understand this very difficult concept of being slaves for the Lord.  Pope John Paul II in his encyclical on the dignity of woman states that "Christ, the "Servant of the Lord", will show all people the royal dignity of service, the dignity which is joined in the closest possible way to the vocation of every person."  This was most assuredly the vocation of my loving parents who are now deceased. May eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them.  Rest in peace, Papa e Mamma. Vi voglio tanto bene e vi ringrazio di cuore!