Isabella Rombaldi
EPSY-201-05
Professor Abas
February 17 2022
Cultural Memoir Essay
The first object that I believe is significant to my identity is a dainty, gold ring that I wear on my pointer finder. The ring was passed down to me from my great-grandmother on my mom’s side of the family who we called Nanny. The ring has a script “R” on it which stands for “Rose”, my Nanny’s name, which became my middle name after being named after her. My nanny always appreciated the little things in life and family was the most important thing to her, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. When my brother, sister and I were young my mom would take us often to visit her. Everytime we walked into her outdated kitchen wrapped in wallpaper that was covered in roses, her face would immediately light up. She would offer us any sweets she had in her house, and she always had a ton because even though it was bad for her, sugary foods were her favorite thing. I know I had to have gotten my sweet tooth from her. My siblings and I would run and grab a cold root beer out of the bottom draw of her fridge and munch on sugar coated cookies as we sat around her small circular kitchen table and told her all the new and exciting things happening at school and in our daily lives. I always noticed this beautiful gold ring on her finger and one day I asked her about it. She said that it was given to her by her mother and that one day she would pass it down to me. After she sadly passed away when I was in middle school I was given her ring. I proudly wore it in memory of her. Everytime I look down at my finger it reminds me of her, the great love she had for our family, and all the timeless memories we shared together. I hope to one day pass along her ring to my daughter along with continuing the tradition of naming her middle name, Rose, after my Nanny as well.
My second object that I believe is significant to my identity and the person I strive to be is a picture of me with my third grade teacher. My third grade teacher, Mrs. D’Elia, greatly impacted my life and inspired my dream of following in her footsteps and becoming a third grade teacher myself. She is the reason I am here today studying at Suny Oneonta and pursuing a career in Early Childhood Education. When life gets challenging I look at this photo and am reminded of the reason I set these goals. I am still in contact with Mrs. D’Elia and she is one of my number one supporters and motivators. I believe that she has significantly helped me become the dedicated, selfless and creative person I have grown to become.
The last object that I believe is significant to my identity and culture is a recipe of my Nonna’s famous tomato sauce. This delicious recipe was passed down through many generations of my family. I believe this sauce is relevant to my identity because it represents my Italian culture. My dad and his brothers grew up in Italy as kids. When they started to get older my grandparents decided to move their family to America. They were the first of the Rombaldi family to leave Italy; however they did not leave their Italian culture behind. When my Nonna was a teenager her Nonna taught her how to make their family’s famous tomato sauce recipe. It was a traditional bonding experience to learn how to make this sauce. This summer my Nonna taught my sister and I so we can continue the tradition by passing the recipe down to our families. My Nonna always says that the key ingredient is to make it with love. I will forever cherish this recipe and the memories made learning to make it.
