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.
