My Mid-Stride Soundtrack Vol. 2- Remembering Mom
Hello my friends! I'm feeling a little nostalgic today, so I thought it was a good idea to throw out a few more tunes for you as I reflect on my Mid-Stride life.
October 19 will mark the one-year anniversary of my mom's passing from this life. I have been running the spectrum of emotional reactions from laughter to tears and all areas in between. I miss her very much. She was quite a character! Feisty, curious, outspoken, compassionate, giving, funny, are just a few of the words I can think of to describe my mother. My mom was the youngest child of Italian immigrants and had a strong love for the food, music, and traditions of her culture. Naturally, she shared that with her children. Many of the strongest memories I have of my mother focus on two main areas: food and music. Since I don't have enough room for you in my little apartment to share a meal with you, I'll share some of the music I enjoyed with my mom and some of her favorites, too.
Mom loved the crooners who sang in Italian. She wasn't entirely fluent in Italian because her dad wanted his kids to be 'Americans' and insisted they speak English more than Italian. But when she listened to Italian singers, it reminded her of her Mom and Pop. That's what music does for us...it's lets us remember our loved ones through song. Jerry Vale (born Gennaro Luigi Vitaliano) was one of mom's favorites and "Al Di La" was a song I heard often growing up.
Louis Prima was the one mom liked to listen to when she wanted to have some fun. He was always full of jokes and surprises. "Buona Sera Signorina" is just like that-starts out slow and then starts swingin'! Mom liked to tell the story of her and her sisters seeing Louis Prima play at the USO club when she was just a teenager. She would smile when she recounted how he brought my Aunt Mary on the stage and sang the 'Too Fat Polka'. What a great way to remember that day...
Okay, there aren't many things about Christmas that I like with how commercial it is. However, mom adored Lou Monte, and "Dominick the Donkey" was a beloved holiday song in our house. Just the way mom wanted the holidays to be...upbeat and fun! It is still a favorite of mine, even though I know many of my friends simply don't 'get it'...That's okay...Mom did.
One of my mom's favorite memories from her childhood was when her Pop would cook breakfast and listen to Italian opera. When The Three Tenors got together in 1994 and she watched them singing "O Sole Mio", it brought her right back to when she was a little girl. She loved the way they teased each other and made the Italian opera fun for her again, the way her Pop did...
Oh....Al Martino and "Spanish Eyes". Mom married a handsome Puerto Rican man, so I could understand how this song became a favorite of hers. Al Martino was also another singer that was pretty local...out of Philadelphia, and for her, that made him as good as family.
Connie Francis (born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero) was a goddess in our home. My dad had a crush on her, and my mom adored her voice. Of all her songs, my mom loved "Mama", the ultimate Italian tribute to moms everywhere. Mom always got teary when she heard this and missed her mom. It seems only fitting to include this on my tribute to my mom and shed a few tears for the woman I love and miss so.
That's the Mid-Stride Soundtrack for today. Sorry if it seems a bit melancholy for some of you. But part of a life in Mid-Stride is looking back at those who aren't with us anymore. I have so many lovely memories of my Mom...and music is a great way to bring those memories to the front. I'm sure you have songs that bring to mind memories of your own departed loved ones. Or if you are blessed enough to still have your parents and other family members still with you, what songs can you recall from your childhood? What are some of the great songs from the soundtrack of YOUR life? I would love to hear from you and share those wonderful memories with you!
Until then, from me and Mom...Ciao!
October 19 will mark the one-year anniversary of my mom's passing from this life. I have been running the spectrum of emotional reactions from laughter to tears and all areas in between. I miss her very much. She was quite a character! Feisty, curious, outspoken, compassionate, giving, funny, are just a few of the words I can think of to describe my mother. My mom was the youngest child of Italian immigrants and had a strong love for the food, music, and traditions of her culture. Naturally, she shared that with her children. Many of the strongest memories I have of my mother focus on two main areas: food and music. Since I don't have enough room for you in my little apartment to share a meal with you, I'll share some of the music I enjoyed with my mom and some of her favorites, too.
Mom loved the crooners who sang in Italian. She wasn't entirely fluent in Italian because her dad wanted his kids to be 'Americans' and insisted they speak English more than Italian. But when she listened to Italian singers, it reminded her of her Mom and Pop. That's what music does for us...it's lets us remember our loved ones through song. Jerry Vale (born Gennaro Luigi Vitaliano) was one of mom's favorites and "Al Di La" was a song I heard often growing up.
Louis Prima was the one mom liked to listen to when she wanted to have some fun. He was always full of jokes and surprises. "Buona Sera Signorina" is just like that-starts out slow and then starts swingin'! Mom liked to tell the story of her and her sisters seeing Louis Prima play at the USO club when she was just a teenager. She would smile when she recounted how he brought my Aunt Mary on the stage and sang the 'Too Fat Polka'. What a great way to remember that day...
Okay, there aren't many things about Christmas that I like with how commercial it is. However, mom adored Lou Monte, and "Dominick the Donkey" was a beloved holiday song in our house. Just the way mom wanted the holidays to be...upbeat and fun! It is still a favorite of mine, even though I know many of my friends simply don't 'get it'...That's okay...Mom did.
One of my mom's favorite memories from her childhood was when her Pop would cook breakfast and listen to Italian opera. When The Three Tenors got together in 1994 and she watched them singing "O Sole Mio", it brought her right back to when she was a little girl. She loved the way they teased each other and made the Italian opera fun for her again, the way her Pop did...
Oh....Al Martino and "Spanish Eyes". Mom married a handsome Puerto Rican man, so I could understand how this song became a favorite of hers. Al Martino was also another singer that was pretty local...out of Philadelphia, and for her, that made him as good as family.
Connie Francis (born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero) was a goddess in our home. My dad had a crush on her, and my mom adored her voice. Of all her songs, my mom loved "Mama", the ultimate Italian tribute to moms everywhere. Mom always got teary when she heard this and missed her mom. It seems only fitting to include this on my tribute to my mom and shed a few tears for the woman I love and miss so.
That's the Mid-Stride Soundtrack for today. Sorry if it seems a bit melancholy for some of you. But part of a life in Mid-Stride is looking back at those who aren't with us anymore. I have so many lovely memories of my Mom...and music is a great way to bring those memories to the front. I'm sure you have songs that bring to mind memories of your own departed loved ones. Or if you are blessed enough to still have your parents and other family members still with you, what songs can you recall from your childhood? What are some of the great songs from the soundtrack of YOUR life? I would love to hear from you and share those wonderful memories with you!
Until then, from me and Mom...Ciao!
Lina, once again you and I are on the same page. October 2nd was the 11th anniversary of my moms death and over the past few days, I've been experiencing the same range of emotions. Just like your mom, mine had a love of cooking and music. This past week, I've been listening to a lot of Jimi Hendrix and Credence Clearwater, two of her favorites. How lucky are we, to have been raised by such phenomenal women.
ReplyDeleteLaTrice....((((hugs)))) to you....I know that the emotions at this time are tough. I love remembering my mom....I love talking about her and telling stories about her. She was a wonderful woman....not perfect...but still, she kicked ass and I miss her awful... All I can do is be grateful for the time we had...and that I told her I loved her all the time. I'd love to hear more stories of your mom...she had to be special to have raised a wonderful daughter like you!
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