My Italian Cook

Imagine that you have a family and times are a bit rough. You work hard but somehow you just don’t have enough. Now, imagine there’s a knock on the door and you open it to find a woman holding 5 huge metal trays of the most delicious lasagne—enough food for 2 weeks, for your family.

That woman was my mother, Maria. From her Italian heart, she would tell you “Food…is love.” She was right. This instance I described is one of hundreds: from her feeding an entire factory (a clothing factory she managed) to feeding those individuals in her employ separately and in private. She was known as a tough boss but with the heart of gold—and she proved it time and again. It staggers me to think how many people she saved from humiliation and the shame of not being able to provide adequately.

She gave them a chance. A chance to regroup. A chance for some relief. And happiness that their families were fed. It was a lesson in empathy for me, as a young child, in seeing the faces of the recipients, the emotion, and the gratitude. Thank you, Mom.