Both of my parents come from a small town in Sicily. In a time where you grew your own produce, raised your own chickens, made your own cheese & put the fishing nets out every night. When preservatives and hormones werent existent. My mother had to delivery the milk every morning before school and then again before dinner. Simple times, when families ate together and played together. There was no going out! A simple outing of getting ice cream was a huge deal and it was a family event! My mother recalls seeing her first movie in a theater AFTER she was married and moved to the U.S. It was the Godfather-go figure! I have had the pleasure of visiting my extended family in Sicily mulitple times and it truly is a different lifestyle. Less stress and more together time. The last time I was there was just before my husband proposed to me. Guess he figured 10 days away from me was way too long! I remember every moment, every sun kissed and family filled day. I can still taste the gelato and the fresh figs. Having my espresso in the morning and then jumping into the sea. Life was always good there. My tastebuds became adventurous and delicacies like snail and sea urchins became my favorite. But nothing will ever compare to sitting down to lunch outisde under a grapevine roof at a table that seated 35! Cousins of all ages, aunts and uncles, everyone was together for no other reason other than that was what families did. As I take a trip back down memory lane I find myself planning my next trip. And I start to think about all the ways I can instill in my son the importance of family and values and simplicity.
Here’s to family!
