March 13th was my Mother's 80th birthday!
My Mother is a pretty incredible woman. She has lived through
bombings in Naples during WWII. Her father died 2 months before her
wedding. She came to the USA as a new bride, away from her family, and learned a new language, and a new way of life.
Christ was her constant companion through it all. She had accepted Him as her Saviour
with her Dad at a missionaries persistent prompting to come to church when she was a young woman. When she came to the USA she found a small Italian church across from Mass General Hospital. Eventually, she ended up at the AG in Revere, MA, where my earliest memories of church, and the love of God were birthed. She begins each day with the Bible in front of her, and a cup of coffee. All through the house, you could hear her singing at the kitchen sink, and when you were hearing her pray, you knew Mama was pouring out her heart and soul!
My Mother is a very talented woman. She is an amazing cook! No one makes homemade pasta, pizza, bread or biscotti like my Mama. She went to school to learn to become a seamstress in Italy. One of her first jobs in the USA was working in a bridal boutique on Newbury Street in Boston. I always remember customers coming to our house for my mother to do alterations, or bring her to Saks Fifth Ave for her to recreate a dress there that they wanted in a different color, or sleeve length.
Wish there was a way to extract all that knowledge and wisdom!
I am grateful that my girls have such a godly heritage! I wish we were closer so they could spend time with her more than just a few times a year. She doesn't always
get the new trends in church, or fashions with the kids. But my girls know she loves them. She is concerned for their saftely, and their walk with God.
We have our humorous Nana stories, about her quirks, and cute accent. The girls have fond memories of visiting Nana's house in the country, and their adventures there. They get yearly slippers knitted by Nana, and Pasta e Fagioli. The lectures in broken english about safety in this crazy world, illegal aliens, her latest find at Goodwill and having to try to talk over Rush Limbaugh blasting in the background on the radio.
Thank You Lord for my wonderful Mama! For all the times she would pray for me before I went off to school, even embarrassing me in front of my middle school friends when she would do it with them waiting for me! For her faithfully living her faith in front of me, inspite of some very dark times in our family. I am so blessed to have been raised by you! I love you!
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