Tears rolled down my eyes as I heard a federal judge speaking to the 115 people taking the oath to become American citizens.
It was a cloudy, misty morning as Marion and I made our way up the marble cement steps of the enormous plaza leading into the federal courthouse in Islip. We were there, soon to be met by my other children Josh, Elizabeth and Samantha, to see the woman who came to me when Josh was born and has stayed connected to our family for decades have her dream of becoming an American citizen come true.
We got to the uniquely designed — by award-winning architecture firm Meier Partners — massive, white courthouse surrounded by pastoral land at 8:15 a.m., ahead of the 10:15 ceremony.
Everyone in the jam-packed courtroom felt excited, but fell silent when we rose for federal Judge Joseph Bianca as he entered the majestic, wood paneled room. First standing behind his desk, he quickly moved closer to the audience with a microphone in hand to warmly greet us.
He candidly shared his personal story of his grandfather coming to America penniless, marrying and having nine children. Judge Bianca was the first in his family to get a law degree, from Columbia, and was later appointed to the federal bench. It was inspiring to all of us.
He then joyously told us his belief that we judge our society by how we treat our most vulnerable citizens, sharing how great our country is for offering people, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — the true American dream.
I also loved when he said that none of us are perfect, and one doesn’t have to be perfect to become a citizen. He reminded us that this is the land of opportunity as he spoke to the people — representing 50 different countries — about to take the oath.
There was a glow on Marion’s face as she was called up and handed her certificate of citizenship. We followed her out of the courthouse and hugged and kissed and cried. What a unique moment in life!
We all decided to go and celebrate at the Oconee Diner in Islip. It’s known for its floor-to-ceiling decorations changing four times a year with the season. What fun it was!
It was a day for the memory books.
Later in the week we gathered at my daughter Samantha’s home for our Thanksgiving feast. Before we ate, each one of us shared what we were grateful for. There was a lot of gratitude voiced around the table, but for me, just being surrounded by family was my greatest gratitude.
To finish the week, I was back in the Hamptons to attend a concert by The Klezmatics, a talented, Emmy award-winning group of five performers, singing at The Hampton Synagogue, which was transformed into a concert hall. With every seat taken in the sanctuary, we all clapped and stomped our feet along with the joyous music.
A sweet way to end a joyous week!
Love to you, my dear readers.
