FacebookTwitter
Hatrack River Forum   
my profile login | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Books, Films, Food and Culture » Speaking for the dead: Josephine Columbo Pastori Catani

   
Author Topic: Speaking for the dead: Josephine Columbo Pastori Catani
Darth_Mauve
Member
Member # 4709

 - posted      Profile for Darth_Mauve   Email Darth_Mauve         Edit/Delete Post 
In memory of Josephine Catani.
She passed away January 1st.
She did me the honor of bringing me into her family, not when I married her granddaughter, but much earlier, at her dining room table, with one word--Mangia. I can never repay her for that.

The Four F's.

Food
Friends
Faith
Family.

These are the words used to describe her.

Food
Friends
Faith
Family

Food
Not to eat herself,
Not to indulge in
Not to fatten
Never to eat alone
But Food to serve others
Food to gift
Food to create
Food to turn disorder into order
In Her kitchen
Food to build community,
To serve friends,
To service faith,
And always, always
To build a strong family.

Friend
Friend to so many
Not just fun and games,
Not just Wine and Bocce
But friend as a virtue
Loyal
Respectful
Friend is hospitality to all
Welcome to strangers
Friends to serve,
Friends to love
Loyal
To Her Community
To Her Neighborhood
To Her Church and faith
Always, Always
Loyal
To Her Family

Faith
Strong dedicated Catholic
Obedient and full of faith
A place to serve
To turn disorder into order
To find friends
To define Family
The center of Her community
From earliest schooling
Until today
Faith in God
Faith in the Church
Faith in Her friends
Faith in Her community
Faith in Her Husband
And always, always
Faith in Her family.

Family
Always, always family.
To serve Her family
To grow Her family
To turn disorder into order
At least in Her family
Whatever was needed
Whatever would help
Always, Always family
She was dedicated to
Her parents and grandparents
in their day,
Aunts and Uncles too numerous to count,
Sisters far and close
Always close no matter how far,
Husband, and Children,
Grand Children, Great Grand Children
Their wives and husbands and families
The Hill, The Church,
And Thankfully, me.
Always, Always Family
And when the rest was forced from her by age
When food became too difficult to cook
When one by one, friends passed on
When the Church became to hard to visit.
There was still Family
To hold her up
To comfort her
To provide for Her as she had provided
So generously
So abundantly
So graciously
For them
To love Her as she loved them.
Unconditionally,
Unceremoniously,
Unquestionably,
Love
Always, Always
The Family

Posts: 1941 | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
kmbboots
Member
Member # 8576

 - posted      Profile for kmbboots   Email kmbboots         Edit/Delete Post 
That was lovely.
Posts: 11187 | Registered: Sep 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
It was indeed. Thank you for sharing her with us.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

   Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Hatrack River Home Page

Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2