Wednesday,
August 01, 2007
Marry into an Italian Family... And You'll Never be Without Friends
The
ANNOTICO Report
Marry
into an Italian Family...
And you'll never be without friends
Italians R Us
by Francesca Di Meglio
July 29, 2007
My parents went
to a wedding last night with an Italian bride and an American groom. It got me
thinking about how lucky most people are when they marry into a nice Italian
family. Don't bother sending me e-mails about the bad seeds among us and how
terrible your Italian mother-in-law is. I know that there is bad in every
group. But, in general, the southern Italian families I know are lovable, strong
in quantity and quality, and loyal to their brood.
I always thought
that every person had tons of cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents who
saw them all the time, took an active role in their lives, and made them feel
loved. When I reached high school, I discovered that lots of people don't even
see their extended family more than once a year. Some don't have cousins or
never meet them. It was mind boggling at first. Without cousins, who do you go
to when you have a problem you don't want your parents to know about? Without zie, who drives you crazy about when you're getting
married? Without zii, who plants your tomatoes?
Without nonni, who watches your kids when you have to
work?
On
Even though many
of my relatives left Ischia and are scattered throughout the
After the
foundation is set, every home needs support to keep up the roof. A family is
the same way. Each generation needs to provide the next layer of support. If
some of us crumble, the others have to step in for renovation. Italian people
often are among the best architects of homes and families. That's why anyone
marrying into a traditional Italian family that works the old fashioned way
will never be alone or unsupported. That's a pretty good way to start a new
life.
For more
information on all things Italian, visit www.francescadimeglio.com
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