My Italian mother, the foundation I needed...Republishing for "Mother's Day!"

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, cherish what you have and not what you want.(May 11, 2025)

A little history for those who want to learn more about my background you can checkout my my 1st book here(https://amzn.to/4kbIxB0). Depending on who you are, a good family foundation is crucial for a child's development because it help form the person you will become throughout your life. I was very fortunate to become a part of a loving and accepting Italian family who took me into their lives during the late 70's. I grew up living two separate lives, one growing up in the ghettos of Providence, RI and another experiencing life in a middle class Italian family settings.

As one of the first newly Cambodian refugees settling in Rhode Island, my father and I were lucky to have survived the Cambodian Genocide during the mid to late 70's. I was the first Cambodian ESL, English as second language, student at my school. My ESL teacher found a place in her heart for me and she became my Italian mother. To this day, she is the only mother in my life for the past 49 years. She sacrificed everything to make sure that I had the proper childhood growing up. I was also very lucky to be accepted by her whole family and everyone treated me like one of their own. Could you imagine this, back then in the 70's here I am hanging out in a middle class Italian family setting, eating all the good Italian foods and sleeping over my Italian cousin's house that was in an exclusive neighborhood. Because of our close ages, my ESL teacher let me spend as much time as possible with them. My father was too busy working and I was either out playing in ghettos of Providence or getting into trouble, so my ESL teacher would regularly take me with her after school and then bring me back home later. Eventually, when I turned eighteen, I moved into my ESL teacher's house and became one of the family.

This was the foundation I needed, one person's compassionate motherly nature saved a child in need of a family foundation. Biological is not a prerequisite of motherhood. Without my Italian upbringing, I would not be where I am today. Surviving your timeline at different stages in life is so much easier when you have family roots, especially learning all the values of being a good person. Having values like hard work ethics, pursuing your dreams, and respecting others are so important in life. I was lucky my Italian mother taught me all those values and gave me a family foundation. I go through life with an open mind and accept people for what they are and treat them like how I want to be treated.

My Italian mother and me in the 70's

My Italian mother and me, 2024

My Italian cousins, we are like brothers, 2024