ITALIAN PROVERB/PEARS

I like this little Italian proverb: “La pera matura cade sola.” The English translation is simple: “The mature pear falls by itself.” But what are we really talking about here? Pears? Fruit? Trees? Is there a lesson to be learned about not getting out the ladder and climbing the tree to pick pears? Is this telling us not to risk injury for a lousy pear? Should we shake the tree to get the pears to fall? What if pears are out of season? What if we don’t like pears is the proverb still viable? Forget the pears. This proverb has nothing to do with pears. Italians hold food in high regard, and thus you’ll find food in many of their proverbs. Check back to my Monday blog on soup, as another example of how Italians utilize food in their proverbs. So what does “La pera matura cade sola” really mean? “Everything in its own time.”