I was robbed...

South Florida is a place for different cultures.....You name it, it's here and probably on your block, too. Hispanic culture would be the majority but there are many flavors of it; Cuban, Puerto Rican, Costa Rican, Peruvian, etc. Indian-Seminole and Miccousoukee are evident as well as German, Irish, Lebanese, Portugese, Polish, Italian, African-American and South African. And then there is Indian, Pakistani and Phillipino and we could never forget the islands! Jamaica, Bahamas, Trinidad and my personal favorite:Turks Caico Islands. Haiti is the other half of the Dominican Republic; I always found that fascinating, wondering when and where Creole ended and Spanish started...

Culture is a wonderful thing but I have no culture: none, nada, nothing! My mother's family was predominantly German, but I don't even have a recipe for potato salad or any kind of cabbage dish, nothing...I suspect that some of the ancestors were also Jewish, but again, no recipes, NO traditions passed on...My father's family were apparently "mutts" Irish, English? Scottish? and American Indian? My dad again, passed on NO culture or tradition or evidence of either.

We like to "pretend"we are Irish through and through on St Patty's day! We go to the parade, wear green, eat Irish food and drink beer and have a grand time of it,we do! We would 'kiss a blarney stone' for sure if ya placed one close by. But do we have Irish linen in our homes and Irish prayers on plaques on the walls? No, no we don't. Do our kids take Irish Step classes? Nope!

We are not even Catholic...my cousins and half siblings are at least Catholic...! We have no religion that is rich in tradition to pass on and fuss about.We are protestants without culture. We have nothing to pass on, except perhaps a few hymns; "Just as I am without One Plea, The Old Rugged Cross...We are as "white bread" as you can get! My husband's family is the very same! Somehow, some people came over on the Mayflower and forgot who their "PEOPLE" were.

And now our children are having children with people of culture and I am sad that we have nothing to add and I am glad that they have something to relate to. Ireland and Puerto Rico would be wonderful places to travel to with my grandchildren and I can only dream of going to both places someday...

What do I pass on? I could cry and say "Woe is me" but I can only hope that my children and grandchildren feel that they, at the very least, have a culture of love and acceptance and humor and creativity.

My daughter and I have a "tradition" of watching and enjoying movies that are absolutely rich with culture and tradition. Some of our favorites are; Tortilla Soup, Nothing like the Holidays, This Christmas, Guess Who, Mystic Pizza, Return to Me, Love Actually, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Brothers McMullen, Dim Sung Funeral and Death at a Funeral to name a few...They all have a common thread-family, love and "home"

I guess if I have given a sense of "home" to my own family, then the love we share on holidays and other days will be tradition enough. And if our culture is to embrace others and include others into our lives as friends, then that is culture enough. I have always said "Blood does not make families, love does" And so if you have become a part of our family and we steal a recipe or two or go to a different kind of church with you or even wear green, or dance a salsa with you, then we are rich in so much more than culture or tradition, we are rich in love and friendship...

I'm coming home to the place where I belong, where your love has always been enough for me