Reflections of... Legacy!

   "Passing on the tradition - one generation to another"

Reflections Of…legacy!

              by Alan P. Scaglione

Today is National Grandparents Day!

That’s right—since 1978!
President Jimmy Carter decreed the 1^st Sunday after Labor Day to be National GrandParents Day!
It is America’s best kept secret—no one knows about this!
Especially—apparently—our KIDS and Grandkids!

I have been educating everyone I know—from the checkout girl at Publix to the Brighthouse Cable customer service rep!

CALL YOUR GRANDPARENT!
Grandparents are an invaluable part of every child’s life.
Grandparents are the link between the Past and the Future.
Grandparents are the historians of the family.
Grandparents are the living legacy to the past!
Grandparents are the “teachers” of where we’ve been—so we can appreciate where we are now!
I was able to “teach” my grandson Jett how to make pizza the other night.
I explained to him that we are Italian men—and Italian men make pizza!
My Papa Joe taught me to make pizza, called Scachattah! and I teach Jett!
Simplistic thought, I know, but… HE LOVED IT!
He spread the dough himself!
He poured the sauce and spread it too!
He put down the pepperoni—4, to be exact!
And then he said “What day is it?”
I told him “It’s Saturday!”
He said “oh, I only like Pepperoni on Sunday!”
And he removed the pepperoni!
It was hilarious!
I explained to him that I am 100% Italian, his father is 50% Italian, and he is 25% Italian—more Italian than anything else!
He said “and Cali is Italian?”
I said “Yes, your baby sister is 25% Italian just like you!”
Then he said, “And Mommy is Italian too!”
I laughed—his mom is not Italian, but… for that night, in his eyes, she was!
We talked about being Italian and my father Joe and grandmother, Josephina, who came over on the boat at the age of 12, all alone!
It was too much history lesson for a 4 year old—but next time, he will remember more of it.
I then taught him more of the important heritage!
Our church heritage!
I taught Jett the old children’s church favorite “Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham, I am one of them, and so are you, so let’s just praise the Lord!”
Then there’s moving your right arm, and you sing the song; then left arm and right arm while singing the song!
Then you add right foot, left foot, turnaround, nod your head…and finally- doing all of them at the same time WHILE singing the song…
Fall down!
He loved it!
He sang the song with me 3 more times—each time, singing and moving each thing we added into the mix!
He was turning around, marching in place, nodding his head and…his favorite—Falling Down!
Now that’s the heritage I want to pass on to my grandchildren—the one that matters most!
Spiritual heritage—about the Lord and all He is to me!
Jett learned a little about his physical heritage and a little about his spiritual heritage—all in one night!
Taught to him by his Nano(that’s grandfather in Italian!)
And that’s the way it should be…
We grandparents are to be treasured and honored and valued and esteemed—
We are the living historians in our family—
We are the reminders of life as it was compared to life as it is today!

And sometimes—life really was better “as it was!”

And we grandparents—are living memorials to those who never met our grandchildren—like my father Joe and grandmother Josephina!
My mother Rose used to tell me “as long as we talk about them to our children—they never really leave us—they are still with us!”
And so…that’s what I do…when I can, where I can… I remind the children of their past—of those who went before them to pave the path!
The Word says the Israelites picked up Stones of Remembrance out of the River Jordan to remind their children of when God saved them!
Guess I am meant to be a Stone of Remembrance to my grandchildren.
Just like Father Abraham!
How about you?

Brother “A”

Send me an email—just as simple as selecting the link—Share your Reflections with me!

Tell me about your grandparent!