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We saw calves born, horses born and little pigs born. As children we adopted them all as pets. We helped feed them and keep theyr stalls and styes clean. We talked to our animals. After they were full grown we shed tears when grandpa' took them to slaughter house. We were thought that our pets were in the food chain. If we did not kill them we could not eat meat. We were explained that all animals are part of a food chain and they only hunt and kill to nourish themselves. Unlike the human race that just kills for power and money. Our elderly always made comparison with life, by doing so they prepared us in strength and fortitude.They  impressed the message that we could not be weak to survive. Grand mother always wore a long apron tight to the waist with with it's own cloth strings. She used the apron to dry her hands, to dry our teats. She pulled the ends up a made into a sack every time she went to the chicken coop to pick up eggs. The aprons had big pockets to hold the heavy iron key to the big, massive wooden portal portal. We were thought to recognized healing herbs when we walked in the woods,  healing herbs were the only known medicine after the wa distructed everything. We were children close to nature and inspired by nature with the solid teaching of our elderly. We listened a lot and learned by listening. Children were not allowed to talk unless asked to do so. Children were never to interrupt an adult conversation. We lived in the adult world and learned to rotate around it. Adulta respected us by never criticize our fantasies, by encouraging us to discover and learn. We never received a prize for birthdays or graduation but we were always reminded that every year is expected more out of us, and we gave more helping the family. We had to honor our family's name and be proud of it. And we were. Our aches and pains were treated with mother's healing touch and a kiss. A visit to the doctor was rare, even though in Italy the doctors made house calls. If we told mother our bones hurt she would reply "They are growing pains". If grandmother complained about her bones aching the answer was "They aging pains". We knew that pain would be part of our lives and we accepted it. Our way to accept pain gave us tolerance. We all had a dream and we talked about it, fantasized on it. We always worked towards our dream. When we fantasized to much our parents were good to bring us back to reality by reminding us of our chores and the upcoming punishment if we did not take care of them.