Looking back at my youth, I was blessed and cherished. I still am, but I realize now how lucky I was to grow up in the family I did.  Each day I live, I realize more and more the wonderful spot I have in life.  But, as a young Italian girl, the granddaughter of immigrants to this country, I got to experience the prize and treasure of a close knit family.  I didn’t know then that I was being groomed to carry on the very important role of “uniter” of those that have no place, of “includer” to those that feel excluded, of giver to those that don’t have enough.  I learned those traits by watching my grandparents.   They were giving to no end, even when they had little, they were always inviting people for dinner, especially for the holidays and they loved and hugged everyone they met, no matter what.   I remember many summers in Lake Tahoe, they would host elaborate parties for all their friends, I would dress up in fun clothes and be the waitress, getting people drinks and snacks.  They would make a big deal about my outfit, and leave tips on the tables for me.  It was great.  I was the only grandchild and I loved the attention, we were very close and I felt so loved and so special that my grandparents and their friends tolerated my presence and even enjoyed having me around.  But the times that were truly special, after the parties were over and the friends would leave, were the times when it was just the three of us, usually me and Nonna in the garden, and Nonno and I learning how to sew.  After a long day of pruning, weeding, gathering, and sunning, we would sit down to a bountiful harvest of fresh organic (thought we didn’t realize it at the time) fruits and veggies from the garden and a beautiful grilled steak.  Nonno was an expert griller, he took it very seriously.  He was also an expert button sewer-oner! He taught me how to sew and I owe all my natural talent to his tutelage.  One day after mending all the popped belly buttons on Nonno’s shirts, I wandered out to the garden to find Nonna near the cherry tree. It had exploded with fruit overnight and she was giddy!  We started gathering the juicy little fruits, tasting a few along the way.  I don’t remember when we actually stopped putting them in the bucket, but about 1 hour later, we were sick from eating so many cherries at one time!  I will never forget the way I felt, laughing and crying because it was so funny but my belly hurt so bad!   We stayed away from eating anymore of those cherries for the rest of the summer, but we gave away enough to expect the neighbors to get bellyaches too!  Hopefully they paced themselves. 

I am blessed to have so many wonderful memories of my Nonna and Nonno as a young girl.  Those formative years are so important and I know they helped raise me right.  Nonno was taken from us far too soon and I still remember everything about his passing and the emptiness I still feel for his loss is monumental.  I miss him with every fiber of my being, but I know that he and Jesus are watching me as they sew on his buttons, guiding me in raising my own 4 beautiful daughters, helping me know how to love and encourage them the way he and Nonna so wonderfully did.   I’m lucky to still be able to talk to Nonna everyday, I call her because I can and I see her as often as I can because you never know what tomorrow holds.  Her great-granddaughters know her like I do, and I am so happy about that. 

Good things have always started in our gardens; they are cultivated there and thrive there.  What kind of gardens are you planting for your family?  Are children encouraged to participate?  Let them help anyway they can, it makes they much more confident adults.  Until next time, I’ll be keepin’ it Original!   Gina