Laugh, Love, Live Life

Growing up with a large extended Italian family has left me  with many memories to smile upon.  I cannot help but reminisce about the “good old days” by the pool with all my aunts, cousins, and uncles stopping by for a dip.  Living in Connecticut, with its short summers. above ground pools were very popular.  They were inexpensive enough for the average middle class family to have one pop up in their backyard.  They were easy maintenance and above all, a lot of fun on a hot summer day.  Looking back, I really cherish those days of splashing around in the backyard pool but more so than the actual swimming, I cherish the memories that have become imbedded within  me.   One favorite memory is of my Aunt Edie.  Aunt Edie would come for a “quick dip” in the afternoon after she spent the morning house cleaning and she always added several adjectives to your name when addressing you.  For example, I was “Lori, honey, angel, sweetheart, darling” when she wanted me to do something for her.  Aunt Edie carried this trait of addressing her nieces and nephews by name plus adjectives through out our many years of family gatherings.  So, it was only natural that some of us picked up that habit.  As a middle school teacher, not a day goes by that I don’t ask students to comply.  Whether it be with an instruction for an assignment or a direction for an activity, teachers are always making requests of students.  One day in class, we were working on an activity of direction following and communicating without using voices.  Students need to think outside the box to communicate with one another as to their birth date so that they could line up in chronological order from oldest to youngest.  Most students caught on quickly and began using their fingers to symbolize their birth month and day.  However, one young man seemed to be having  particular difficulties and was using his voice, moving people out of their spots, and just creating havoc.  The students were becoming frustrated as some tried to help him, some tried to get him into a spot, and others just wanted to get on with the activity.  As a teacher, I was being ever so patient and was trying to guide him toward thinking how he could find his correct spot.  His attitude was less than cooperative.  Finally, emulating my Aunt Edie, I said, “Anthony, honey, angel, sweetheart, darling, just find your place in line.”  This was too much for one other student.  Which at this point, Alex, equally frustrated, stepped out of line and said, “Now, Ms. Groves. you know he ain’t any of those.”  The class erupted into laughter.  Even Anthony was laughing.  I could only join them.  Well, Aunt Edie, I tried.  But, “out of the mouths of babes” as the saying goes.  Anthony finally did find a spot in line and a spot in my heart as years later I still recall this memory and with it, fond memories of my Aunt Edie.