As effective as my camouflage tactics were, two jarring words eventually reached my ears: “Where’s Jenny?” That simple phrase forced me to muster up just enough courage to allow myself to be hugged (though never hugging back), before seeking a new safe haven.
The Ode of Remembrance is a verse I have committed to memory since I was at least 6 years old. And as I sit and write this, mere moments from the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, it is echoing in my mind.
Although I can wholeheartedly understand the anti-Valentine’s sentiment—my forever valentine is none other than my dear mother—I cannot say that I feel the same. Valentine’s Day has always been my favorite holiday.
“If you are going to be disingenuous, isn’t a fake apology worse than no apology at all?”
O’Hanlon gets her noticeable optimism and cheer from her family, saying, “I was lucky to come from a family that was very happy.”
“The difference between my Yiayia and I is that I grew up in the fast-paced culture of New York in an American society where productivity determines worth, and she grew up starving under inhumane circumstances during World War II, coming to America and working hard for everything she had. For her, coffee was her break, a time to recharge and refuel in order to persevere through the difficult circumstances she had been dealt.”
