TheItalians
From Sicily to Whitestone
Every day, Mike's ma would pray. She did her Sunday thing, and when she worried about raising a juvenile delinquent, she prayed more. She loved God. "God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in them.” — 1 John 4:16
Betty Grable in Queens
Noone would have guessed that in her 20s she looked like Betty Grable, the most famous pin-up girl of World War II. One photo of her in a bathing suit, looking over her shoulder, became legendary — it was distributed to millions of American soldiers and symbolized the ideal of American beauty and morale during wartime.
I Can Stand on My Hands
In her 80s, she’d flash a mischievous grin and announce to anyone within earshot, “I can stand on my hands. Wanna see?” People could not imagine this small, plump, white-haired grandma kicking up into a handstand. She had to hold the rails when she went down 3 steps. Then she'd do it—bend over, plant her palms on the floor, and step right onto them. “See? Standin’ on my hands!” She literally was... standing on her hands. Assuming that standing on your hands meant a handstand was our own fault. She would cackle at her cleverness every single time.
