Italian Family Reunions, An Oxymoron- By: James Pynn

Description : Why bother with choosing family reunion gifts if your family is always united? My family never bother with family reunions. I think this stems from the fact they were comprised mostly of Italian immigrants (my father changed his name from Pinnetti). My parents came to America in 1966. They were the first in their family to make the trip, and did so for a crack at a good education.

Though they tried to make friends when they arrived, the language barrier was pretty wide and high. Once they could afford to pay for more relatives to come visit, the more my relatives decided to stay. They enjoyed the freedoms and the opportunities this country provided them. It's like the pilgrims leaving England for the need for more freedoms.

There are a number of advantages to a big family. Big families can pool resources together for a common good and a common goal. It sounds a tad co-dependent but it's all relative. We would never abide seeing our relative only once a year -- we need to be around them around the clock. For us, daily interactions with cousins and uncles is like interacting with your father or brother.

We tend to not celebrate Thanksgiving the way most Americans do. We interact on such a consistent basis that taking a day to say "thanks" seems a bit off. A number of American families kick there children out of the house when they turn 18. In our family, an average child doesn't move out until he's married -- and his wife is expecting.

Kids stay next to the parents even if they move out. My cousin who has three kids only lives two blocks away from his parents. It's about "la familia" and about staying close enough to help. The family is a strange, mysterious beast, and it has served us well as a species. Long live the family.

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Author Resource : If you are not part of an Italian family, then hurry and pick out some family reunion gifts and send them.