Letter # 9 — Someone you wish you could meet

This was a hard one and I am quibbling on it a little. I did meet this person but was too young to remember. All I do recall is a dim image of him in a hospital bed.

Day 9 — Someone you wish you could meet

Dear "Gramps"

Did you know that I wrote a paper about you once? Your daughter, my grandmother, told me stories about how you came over from Italy with almost no money to start a new live here in America. Every time I hear about Ellis Island and the melting pot, I think of you. You were part of that dream. I wonder what you’d think about it today. You’ll be glad to know that those clear light blue candies you came up with all those years ago are still being made and that your great great granddaughters take pride in telling people that you created them.

As small as our family is and shallow as our roots are, I would have loved to talk to you as an adult. They tell me you lit up when I bounced into the room but to have sat together as adults would have been special. There is so much I could have learned from you. About our roots and heritage. As I’ve gotten older, I find that I think about that more. As an only child of only children, neither of whom have deep roots at all here. Sometimes it is kind of a lonely world. As Mom puts it, our tribe is pretty small.

I think you would have been proud of the family.