What's A Little Nausea Among Friends?!

It all began with a slight fever, body aches, nausea and a visit to the doctor’s office with what she thought was the flu.  After hearing, “Fortunately, Mrs. Rossi you don’t have the flu.  The rabbit died (which was code back in the 60's for.... You are pregnant!)”  My mother swears she broke down in tears and continued to cry for three months.  Please understand she is a wonderful mother.  However, she believed her child-bearing years to have gone by.  Mother already had four children…. ten years prior.  She announced the good news at the dinner table where my loving father, three brothers and sister, aged 14, 13, 12, and 10 were inhaling their food before someone else began eating off of their plate.  After my mother shared the news, my father rejoiced by exclaiming, “What?! How can that be?!  I wasn’t even home!”  I believe this is where I got my sense of humor.  My siblings were quite excited.  My sister was especially thrilled…she always wanted a little sister… until I actually arrived and she was met square in the face with the fact that she was not the “baby” of the family any longer.  Someone else was the center of all the attention.  And so it began… my sister began plotting my demise.  Recently, after 40 +/- years, my not-so-loving sister admitted to have flung me out of the old-timey baby carriage in a subconscious attempt to rid me of the family. I am pleased to say those attempts on my life were unsuccessful.  At least to date… all this took place in Hewitt, New Jersey which is about 45 minutes outside of New York City.

My mother was born in 1924 and raised in Michigan Center, Michigan to hard working parents, Clarence and Anna Fox. She was 1 of 6 children.  She was one of the very first girls who played basketball in high school which was an amazing feat for that era.  My mother was amazing with many accomplishments.  She attended nursing school, graduated with honors and was installed as an officer in the Navy – a lieutenant.  Mother worked as a registered nurse for almost 50 years. She retired at the age of 76 – amazing.

My father was born and raised in New York City, New York to Italian immigrants Michele (Michael) Rossi and Carmela Papalardo.  Interestingly, my grandmother came to the United States as a single woman.  She worked in a factory embroidering on women’s gloves. She was informed by her family in Italy that she would soon be married to a young man from her home town outside of Naples, Italy. They were married shortly thereafter.  Together they had 3 children.  So apparently, they got along. Michele died unexpectedly.  Consistent with Old Testament Catholicism, the family ‘sent’ the next eligible brother, Rueben (my grandfather), to marry Carmela. Again – they must have gotten along because they had 3 more children.  My father enlisted in the Marine Corps as a grunt. My parents met on Paris Island, South Carolina. This is where my father had to.... wait for it.... salute my mother!  Epic!

To be continued.....