so...

two of the hungarian churches in cleveland are closing. this prolly doesn't seem like a big thing, but i spent a fair bit of time growing up at these places. and when i go back home, they are places i know i can go to get certain foods. aide from being houses of god, they were cultural centers.

it makes me really glad i learned my grandma's recipes and how she cooked before she went senile. other than my uncle, i am the only person in my family that can cook traditional dishes. and apparently i do it pretty well

the funny thing is, i hated all things hungarian when i was growing up. i tolerated the food, went to the ethnic things begrudgingly and was generally embarassed by stuff. but now i embrace it all as part of who i am and try to learn more about my heritage. its weird how much you can change.

 

Reading this just made me feel very homesick for my native Ohio, and for my late Grandma's cooking, although she was Slovak, not Hungarian.

I agree with you about becoming so much prouder of one's heritage as we grow older. Do you think it's maybe that we take it for granted when we are young, being that it's such an intrinsic part of our lives? When we become adults, it becomes a choice as to whether we want to carry on with the traditions and culture we grew up in, and perhaps pass it along.

I enjoy your blog posts very much!

--Justine