Welcome, Baby Audrey!
November 30, 2009
To celebrate Audrey’s first year, her parents put together an event in a city park. They wanted to name her, welcome her, and honor her background. How better than a family picnic? So what if this one swelled to include friends, and topped out at almost 90 guests?
After a brief religious ceremony, the four grandparents spoke about their backgrounds, about some of the people in their lives, about their hopes for Audrey. A grandmother of Russian descent recalled her mother, who always welcomed strangers to her home. A grandfather whose family fled the Armenian genocide recalled their hard work and dedication to the United States.
Then it was time for the picnic: borrowed tables and chairs, and rugs for sitting. The home made foods represented Audrey’s rich stew of a background: Swedish meatballs, Irish potato salad, Italian Caprese salad, …..seven dishes in all.
It had been a tough year for Audrey’s parents who, in addition to adjusting to parenthood, had had to face some harsh job realities.
“These are some of the people who helped us,” Audrey’s dad reports. “We’re celebrating Audrey, we’re celebrating our friends. We come from blended multi-cultural backgrounds. We revel in the distinct blends. A lot of our lives are spent around food. It’s a way to express ourselves.”
And how does he feel now? “Other than exhausted, very happy, very touched.”
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today.