Family

by Emily C. Gagel
AFTER CONNECTING on a more personal level with the people of Cagli, I have begun to take great interest in the importance placed on family, the extended family and maintaining closeness across these ties. Many older, adult children still live at home even into their thirties and forties. According to The Italian Way, this stems from the cultural norm of family ties being very strong. The immediate family nucleus of parents and children is closely tied to their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

When I look at my family in the U.S., our ties are very different. Both of my parents grew up on the east coast, but chose to move clear across the country when they started college at the age of eighteen. Today, both rarely speak to their brothers and sisters. In fact, when one is contacted by their family it is seen as a bit of a nuisance.

As I prepare for life after Cagli, I hope to take the importance placed on family in the Italian culture home with me. I admire their support system within the family and see it as a way to better face life’s trials.