Page 6 - New Orleans Living November 2014

Publisher’s Note
Publisher’s Note
Gary Solomon, Jr. Man Behind
the Curtain
POWER
OF PROTEIN
NOVEMBER 2014
Bon Vivants Three Locals with Passion
Thanksgiving Décor
THE
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neworleansliving.com
My dear friends,
Recently, I went to my cousin’s wedding. More than 100 of my relatives gathered to celebrate the growth of
our family. Seeing everyone there — my parents; my brothers and sisters; my cousins, whose own children are getting married — made me realize that my generation is now the one to continue the Muro tradition of putting family first.
If you know me, you know that I love my family. I try to visit my parents as much as possible, but, when I’m not there, I feel guilty for missing time with them. I miss the little things, like early morning espresso, and long Italian lunches on Sundays.
I miss sitting with them, catching them up on my work and hearing their stories. They have been married for 63 years, and they always have stories to tell. They didn’t have a honeymoon,
or wedding rings, but it didn’t matter. With eight children, they made up for scarcity with a surplus of love.
At my cousin’s wedding, my parents were happy just to sit back and watch their kids, nieces and nephews be happy. This gave them happiness. In turn, seeing them take joy in the family they helped create was so fulfilling to me. My whole life, I have worked hard both to honor the sacrifices they made in supporting me, and to give them reasons to be proud of me.
When I had to leave, I kissed my parents goodbye, ran out and sobbed. Each time I see my parents, they are
older and have grown more fragile. I never know when I will kiss them again. The fear of losing them has been with me since I was a little girl — and though they and
I both know the inevitable, they are still teaching me to accept it. They are always teaching me.
I used to call my parents every two weeks or so, but now, I find myself wanting to call them every day.
If family is a tree, as we so often imagine it, our parents are the roots and we are the branches. As the tree grows, the branches come to shelter the roots. In the same way, we must take care of our parents at the close of their lives. I am still struggling with this natural order. Luckily, two of the most graceful souls I have ever known are still here to guide me.
Maria Muro
New Orleans Living l November 2014
Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. – Buddha
On the Cover Rose McGowan