We are grandchildren of immigrants to this country.  We derive from the huddled masses, whose very existences, let alone birth dates, were never recorded in official records.  We have no family crest.  No motto of our lineage.

In our second generation of natural born Americans, we have thrown around mottoes that might define our family’s communal sensibilities.  For a while, we imagined a family crest that would match our intrusiveness, lovable brusqueness that is meant to show love.  SOB (sister of blogger) and I imagined with a white picket fence and an “X” through it.  It would signify, “no boundaries”.

But it is hard to figure out how all that fits on a pinkie ring, which is apparently where the family crest goes, if you are a family crest kind of family.

As time goes by, I have determined that we are not so much intrusive (yet lovable) as we are lazy.  We give new meaning to the usual response to the sentiment, “you shouldn’t have!!”  In fact, we DO do the least we can do.

When SOB brings dessert to top off a three-course Sunday night dinner at our house, she says, “it’s the least we could do.”  And I respond, “yes, yes, it is.”  She is gratified that she exceeded the low bar we set for each other.  And since she has exceeded the bar, she can do a victory lap around the apartment and bend her head to receive her Olympic medal.

Our new motto: nos operor minimus nos can operor

We do the least we can do.

I will come up with some crest designs in future blogs.