EWTN, Ave Mario Radio host's 14th book, 'Everything's Coming Up Rosie,' full of wisdom, wit, laughter and stories of faith
ANN ARBOR — Not every mother-daughter relationship is full of roses all the time, but the lessons that one can take from them can beautifully fill the garden of life.
In the latest of 14 books written by the EWTN Catholic radio and television host, national speaker and Metro Detroit personality, Teresa Tomeo dives into the strength of her mom’s faith and the life lessons she imparted in her 94 years of life.
The impetus for writing "Everything’s Coming Up Rosie: 10 Things My Feisty Italian-American Mom Taught Me About Living a Godly Life" came after many years of speaking around the country, often quoting the wisdom that came from her mother, Rose Tomeo Squillace, a native of Jersey City, New Jersey, who lived most of her life in St. Clair Shores.
“The talk, which became the content of the book, was something that I had been doing a good 10 years and it was really well-received,” said Tomeo, a former reporter at WXYZ Channel 7 and longtime host at Ave Maria Radio in Ann Arbor (WDEO-AM 990).
The book was written to be insightful as well as comedic as Tomeo attempts to write her mother’s voice with her iconic Jersey accent.
“I just felt she didn’t get a proper send off,” Tomeo said of her mother, who died of congestive heart failure in March 2020 as COVID-19 lockdowns were beginning. “I wanted to give her a tribute.”
Tomeo said the book is relatable for many mothers and daughters, as it highlights how faith is intertwined with all episodes of life, some that are full of tragedy and others that are full of laughter.
“My mother was very practical and very funny. She would say, ‘If you want a pool, go fill up a garbage can,” Tomeo chuckled. “So, my sister and I washed out an old garbage can and tried it out.”
In a generation filled with "It’s all about me," the "greatest generation" of her mother's time taught that one can’t always have everything one wants, she continued.
Equating her mother’s wisdom to that of television personalities such as Sophia Petrillo of "The Golden Girls," or Marie Barone of "Everybody Loves Raymond," she noted her mother’s blunt personality and deep faith helped Tomeo become closer to her Catholic roots.
“People are longing for common sense and getting back to the basics,” Tomeo said.
The first chapter, "Awfa It Up to God, and Put It at the Foot of the Crawse," dives into her mother’s “version of Catholic teaching on redemptive suffering or letting it go,” Tomeo said.
The chapters also reflect on her mother’s Italian-American upbringing and how her faith was a foundation for her wisdom, despite growing up poor, a wisdom appreciated by her daughters later in life.
Each chapter ends with a prayer, a reflection, saintly words of wisdom and reflection questions.
“What it really helped me do was appreciate how practical and appreciative I am,” she said of her experience writing the book.
It also took her down memory lane, causing Tomeo to reflect on how often mothers and daughters struggle with their relationships.
“I think this book can remind us that if you won’t have the perfect relationship with your mom, it can be — you can reconnect and come back to the faith,” she said.
The book is available in paperback on Amazon or through Sophia Institute Press.
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