Story: My Working Mamma
Jun 23, 2020, Updated May 22, 2022
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,When I was growing up my mom worked a lot. She was a geneticist at the University of Utah and loved her profession. We came to the United States when I was six years old and she was 35- my exact age now. She knew basic English and worked hard taking her ground in her profession as a woman and a second language learner. Her English wasn’t perfect and she had to prove herself even more. That often meant long hours and working on weekends. When I was younger I thought it was normal to go with my parents to the lab on weekends and go to daycare after school until 5:30 pm.
,I was a kid. I didn’t see differences. Growing up in Utah I quickly realized that the majority of mothers (in my immediate surroundings) actually stayed home and didn’t work. This is something that was unfamiliar to me with my own mother as well as my family in Italy. All women worked. In my family they were doctors, pharmacists, and scientist. That’s the way it was.
,It was probably in the third grade where I realized my situation was different. My mom was different. Still to this day when people meet my mom they ask her how long she’s visiting from Italy because of her accent. Through my youth she taught me strength by her example. She taught me resilience. Every single night no matter how tired she was there was a meal on the table and we were all expected to join. This was our time together to share experiences or just sit and eat together. It’s not until now I realize that this was her time with us where we didn’t move we weren’t on the run we were all sitting around a table with food as the center.
,*For me, creating the MammaMiaMangia blog is more than just giving you delicious recipes and pretty photos (I’m pretty sure there are already 1 million people doing that and better too). This is about sharing my story, it’s passing on traditions, it’s hoping that these meals will be shared with you and yours. I want to bring family meals to life. I want you at my table. I want to be at yours. I desire the connection, conversation, passion, confusion, intimidation surrounded by food. Who’s in this with me? Let’s chat. Please share with anyone you feel would jive with this.
,️Made with Amore, Elena.
