About Me

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I am a retired English teacher and department head, the mother of three grand mother of four, and have been married to the same man for 52 years. I subscribe to Dr. PM Forni's concept of Civility. I was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in the 'burbs. I love soft pretzels and cheesesteaks, the Phillies, the Eagles, and San Diego. I love being Mom, Aunt Kathy, Nona Kathy, and Teacher. I spend a lot of time in my gardens in the spring and summer, and in the winter I plan what I'm going to plant. I also am an avid reader and photographer.

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Friday, May 18, 2018

RECIPROCITY

I really love including people in on all sorts of occasions.  Having come from an Italian family -- it's not an occasion until 10 or 15 others drop in.  There are so many fond memories of everyone sitting around the dining room table, the one that now graces my dining room, and the laughing and sharing and wonderfulness of it all.  We also joked that in an Italian family, if someone didn't agree with you, they obviously didn't hear you.  Thus meals were generally a little louder than in other households, but always lively and fun.

Most of our elders are gone, and so we celebrate by inviting friends and extended family to our home, or to a restaurant, or time out on the boat or visiting gardens  to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, spring,  a week without rain -- whatever.  We do so gladly, and not expecting anything in return, except maybe friendship and/ or the chance to be included in other's lives as well.  And most folks do just that.  But some, while espousing gratitude for having been included and while still remaining friends, never think to include us in whatever they celebrate.  And I wonder why.  And sometimes I feel slighted.

Will we stop including these folks?  Probably not.  But I fear I am being selfish by thinking the way I do, and perhaps presumptive.


1 comment:

Sally Wessely said...

I hear what you are saying. I feel the same way. The social graces that were once practiced just seem to not be the norm at this point in time.