Today is the day of Mom’s funeral and while I am sitting here in France, know that I’m am joining everyone with prayer. I think of my brother, John, and my sister, Shelby along with all my cousins, nieces, and nephew who will be present today to say a final good-bye to Mom; but do we ever really say good-bye? What do I remember right now? Summers in Cachagua, running down to the swimming hole, eating at the long shaded table, the noise of everyone talking at once, my Nonna cooking and then cooking some more, Auntie Elvia and Uncle Hugo, and the evenings with accordion playing and Italian songs being sung, flakes on the balcony to make it slippy, the river rushing behind the house, the little country store, and rain on tin roofs . . . these are memories, but when I think of them I’m there – a little girl running to keep up with her cousins! So what have I lost today? Sweet memories carry me back to those days and all the others that I celebrated with Mom and with all of you. Memories carry us back over the sea of time and space, making alive what we falsely perceived as dead. As long as the memories live, Mother is alive! La dolce vita!!
