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Sunday is Father's Day - at least
so the advertisements tell us. For our part, every day
is Father's Day - and every day is Mother's Day.
The untold sacrifices of Mother and Father
to provide their children with what the parents believe to be
the important things in life - food, shelter, medical
attention, education, parental love - everything that
sometimes is taken for granted by children.
So maybe even though the event is
commercialized, it does serve a useful purpose to set aside
one day a year for our Father. |
I have no Father or Grandfather to share this Sunday with -
but I do have beautiful memories of years gone by that I can
relive this Sunday.
I also have heard from my father and
grandfather philosophies that have guided me in my own daily
life.
It is with grateful heart that I look back
upon the past and summon from the deep recesses of my memory
the joys of my childhood spent with a devoted father and a
lovable grandfather on Father's Day.
I wrote about my father and now I want to
introduce my maternal grandfather who was a member of
Garibaldi's legions in 1870 when that legendary figure in
Italian history took over Rome and united Italy into a
country. It was on my grandfather's knee that he told me
about the 1870 exploits. His shining, gleaming blue eyes
delivered a message separate and apart from his moving
lips. I could see pride reflected in his eyes and a
feeling of accomplishment in his vibrant face. |
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We descendants of Francesco
Cocchiola are proud of our grandfather and the philosophy of life he
imparted to us down through the years during the formative days of our
childhood. Pictured in this column is grandfather Cocchiola and
his offspring - the photograph was taken around 1938. In the front
row, left to right, is my mother Rose Cocchiola. The center is
grandpop. To his left is his oldest daughter, Felicia Cocchiola
Restaino. Standing left to right: Carmen, Ralph, Generoso and
Angelo Cocchiola.
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