Moments in Time

We have spent thirty one Christmases together and each vary unique and different. All except for one were very happy and joyful. They were moments in time that shaped and solidified our future together.

As I reflect on those moments such as our first Christmas in Ohio, when you got your first look into my Italian heritage. Though you felt like an outsider because of the language barrier, you accepted embraced and made it your own through the years.

Christmas became real and personal once Jaclyn was born. How can we ever forget waking to pings and puffs as we soon discovered that our baby girl learned to get out of her crib and decided that the sparkly Christmas ornaments made pings and puff sounds as she rolled them down the hallway.

Since we were so far away from our families we knew that Jaclyn needed to be exposed to a bigger family environment and that is were Grandma Mary and her family fit the bill. The festive holiday traditions were maintained along with keeping the Italian heritage intact.

Things changed somewhat with the one Christmas of my fathers death. We both realized that the moments that we do have we can no longer put on auto pilot but rather put more effort into each and every day.

We have come a long way in our journey together and we have many moments that with a simple blink of an eye we can recapture and enjoy. In doing so we will understand how our future moments in time will be shaped so that our off springs will be able to do the same.

So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and just close your eyes and see all those moments in time together.

My Mother's Life

My mother died this week, though I grieve her loss, I am certain that she is in the peaceful place that she wanted to be. These past years since my fathers death the person that faced life with all the challenges that were thrown at her became a shell of the persona that once was.

As with most families the history of the family was passed down by the stories that she would tell. She would speak of her father who took his young bride to the United States to start a family in the land of opportunity and that he did, a son and a daughter were born. The euphoria of a new life in a new land was short lived for my grandfather became terminally ill and he knew that he wanted to die back in his home town in Italy so that his young family could be with other members of the family. Once back in Italy additional joy and tragedy came to this young family another son was born but my grandmother experienced complications that left her with a crippling stroke that was magnified by my grandfathers death shortly there after.

The circumstances forced my mother to forgo a childhood of promise but rather one of responsibility for now she had to do what my grandmother could not. My mothers character was shaped by these events for she simply would not let anything get in the way of her family. This is trait, family first, was maintained when she married my father. They had a son, my brother, at the start of World War II and once again the responsibility of taking care of a crippled mother, her youngest brother and a new born son fell on her shoulders since my father was required to go into the Italian army. The hardships that ensued were taken in stride. In 1948 I was born and life once again offered hope but quickly took it away. I was afflicted with the polio virus when I was nine months old. Not knowing what was happening to me my mother went from village to village seeking someone that knew. Her immediate actions gave me the ability to enjoy a normal life with few physical limitations. I have maintained a special bound with her since I believe that she gave me life twice.

Her fathers desire to bring a better life for his family in the United States took hold in my mother in the early 1950's. By herself she came to the US to reestablish her citizenship and saved enough money to send for us. Two years past to achieve this. Together as a family, with a lot of hard work and determination, life in the United States became what she dreamed about as a child and what my grandfather had hoped for.

My brother and I each with our own families have carried forward what my mother and father espoused to we take care of our families no matter what life throws our way.

At my fathers death six years ago I stated that he showed us how to love and how to work. With my mothers death she showed us how to give for she sacrificed it all to give us the chance to do the same for our families.

Though life is a blink of an eye I can always close my eyes and see my mother whenever I need her.

A Father's Pride

Today, Valentine's Day, was the first time I went to see my daughters work environment. I was a little apprehensive to see my only daughter that I made sure got a very good education in parochial schools (K - 12) and a teaching degree from NAU working in a little coffee shop/ specialty market. As my wife and I entered the store I saw my daughter talking to customers and dealing with other employees under her supervision. I was able to sense that she had a command of the situation and that pleased me. We have always tried to instill in her that what ever job she does she has to do it at the best of her abilities.

As we browsed around looking for a table, I couldn't help to think that this is a good little business, full house with a very visible corner location. Since I too found my calling in opening my own business I've hoped that she would follow suite and do the same. Before she would be able to do that she would require the experience of working for others, so this could be the start.

She saw that we were seated so she brought our menu , meanwhile our son in law also joined us. She proceeded to take our orders and submitted them to the kitchen so she too could check out and join us. When our orders were brought to the tables I once again was pleased for the items were very eye appealing and very tasty . As we ate a regular customer seating next to us asked if we were the parents of this special girl. The compliments of our daughter flowed effortlessly from his lips. Since he was by himself we asked for him to come a join us. What was a to be a simple lunch turned into a three hour party. During that period other employees along with the wife of the owner came and introduced themselves to us and they to stated the virtues of our daughter. As we were leaving another customer came up to us to compliment us on raising such a nice beautiful girl and what a pleasure it is to come to this establishment when she is working. Again, I'm thinking she is doing everything right.

Maybe this is not what I would have preferred for her in the beginning, but if she is willing to work at it and learn , who knows maybe this type of establishment could be named after her.

Jaclyn's has a nice feel to it. I would do whatever to help her achieve it if that is what she would want.

Valentine's Day

Each Valentine's Day the expectations are that romance and love can only be expressed with a card or flowers or some expensive piece of jewelry all of which come from someone else stating that this is what it should be. But really what should it be ?

When two people first catch each others eye and the attraction is more than a passing fancy, time spent together becomes the most important of all. The newness of the feelings and the anticipations of what may become becomes an uncontrollable appetite that you simply want more.

The years pass and the comfort level of complacency set in so we fall for the marketing traps that by just spending some money on what we are told to buy that we will achieve the perfect form of romance and love. But it only lasts for the moment.

What it comes down to is what we do with the moments, days or whatever time we do get to spend together is Valentines Day.

So Happy Valentines Day Sweetheart for today is ours !