The New York Times Sunday Style Section Made Me Cry

While it is true I have not lived in The City for many years, I will always identify myself as a New Yorker.

I was born here. I'm a native.

Sunday I was quoted in my hometown paper. And I cried. A totally unexpected reaction. It took me utterly by surprise. Who cries about being in the Sunday "Style" section of the New York Times?!

Me. I do.

You see, when my Great Aunt Vera, whom I loved dearly, was alive she had been a well-known fashion designer. When I was little, there were quite a few 1970's weekends where my father would open up to the "Style" section of The Times and say "Look Devra, here's a fashion sketch drawn by Aunt Vera." Did I have much knowledge of what it meant for my Aunt Vera's pen and ink sketch to be featured in the New York Times? No. I just knew I felt proud to have an aunt who got to have her drawings in the newspaper and I sometimes dreamed of having my own drawings in the paper too.

Last week, as Kara Jesella interviewed me, I didn't think to ask her which section of The Times would carry her article.

Saturday night I found out the article would be running in the "Style" section of the Sunday edition.

Then it hit me. My appearance in the "Style" section is my Great Aunt Vera signalling she is proud of me. I feel happy tears roll down my cheeks and-borrowing a cleaned up version of a phrase from this guy- I am smiling like a madwoman.