Anyone who follows me on Facebook knows i love south eastern New England, especially RI, and any chance  i have to get back to RI i jump on it, but not for any more funerals, thank you.  Last week i get an email from my sister-which is weird because she doesn't usually text me.  My father's youngest brother died.  My first thought was it will be nice to see my sister and cousins again, and i was up for a ri road trip.  For this trip GOD had his hand on our heads.  We left nj @9 arrived in ri by 1.  We got a room @ the sheraton for  a great rate. The morning  before the wake we went to our favorite bakery in the Italian part of Providence and then  had breakfast at our favorite diner.  We even had time to stop at Newberry Comics and the Lush store-a great time.  At the wake it was great to see all my cousins they really are great people.  We all say the same thing, "it's too bad we only see each other at these things."   On the way back to the hotel i pride myself at how well i held it together.  My sister had dinner with us at another favorite restaurant.  We agreed RI is a more relaxed, congenial place to live.  It was great to see everyone and reconnect to my roots.  It was sad to see the school i taught at now closed.  It was great to see my extended family but when taps were played at my uncle's funeral, i cried. i cried because my uncle and the men of his generation took pride in serving their country, city and family.  i cried because that noble generation is diminishing one person at a time.  i cried for the state of ri that is no longer my home.  In the church, the prayers, hymns, incense, holy water; they provide such comfort.  Yea, i cried today, because my uncle's generation left us some great things.  I thank GOD my father and his brother's took us to church and had us baptized they left us a great legacy as Italian Catholics.