Mama Maisano - Rest in Peace

THE TIN BOX

When my Dad came to America he was 18. He was here for a year then drafted into the US Army- WW2- da big one, as he would say.

He always had this tin box and every once in a while he would say, “Mariana go getta Daddy da box”.

I came to find out that box was from the war and he had all his important papers in it.

Since my Mom took a turn for the worse with her health my brother cracked into “THE TIN BOX” to get some of her important papers.

Oddly it was still Daddy’s box as when it was told to me he said I went into Daddy’s tin box.

It made me think~

Is that what we all come down to!

A tin box?

Uncertainty, fear and sadness can really take a toll on you. You have an inordinate amount of emotions that make you feel almost bi-polar. One minute you’re angry, then sad. You find yourself talking to God and requesting a rally for life or a passage home.

It’s the one time in life that you really have no control over the situation. You simply have to wait.

My siblings and I were at odds and the next second crying.

There I was in the middle of my family, Tony Soprano, Carmella and Janice.

Once Hospice came it was like a miracle and a weight was lifted. All I wanted was my Mom to be comfortable and not struggle.

My Mom was an amazing woman who lived a hard life.

Her Dad was from Naples and her Mom died giving childbirth to the 5th sibling. My Grandpa had to put the four kids in an orphanage, as he could not feed them. When he got enough money he got them out but the youngest was adopted.

At eight years old my Mom became “The Mom” for all of her siblings. At eight!

At eight years old I could barely unravel my slinky and she was the head of the household.

At 16 she married Dad.

When Dad came home he opened a Taxi company and she was raising us and answering the phone and saying breaker, breaker 1-9 to dispatch calls. We lived no more then 500 feet from the George Washington Bridge and Dad put a sign out on house that said commuter-parking 50 cents. So now she was cooking, cleaning, taking care of us, answering the phones and parking cars.

The one thing in life she loved the most was us, her kids.

You would think we were still 12 years old. She was my biggest fanJ

When I resigned my position to follow my passions I did not tell her. I thought OMG she will flip.

Ya know how she found out?

The newspaper did this huge article on the show and me.

She called me and said, Babe, its Mommy.

I just read the paper and they did a great job. I am so proud of you Honey.

I said Ma, I had to leave the bank to make things happen, do you understand?

All she said was, “you are my Baby, you can do anything”!

I know that grieving is a process and it takes time. However I choose to celebrate her and her life.

She always made me laugh and did the funniest things that to this day are part of my act because you really cant make this shit up.

So everyday of my life will be a tribute to hers.

She was the toughest Italian Chick I knewJ

God Bless you Mommy!

And Daddy you better be waiting with dinner or she will be pissed J