The Gifts You Gave

Dearest Nonna:

The last memory I have of you, as reading the 23rd Psalm to you, before you passed, because I knew that was what you wanted. It was just eighteen days before my twenty sixth biethday, for almost twenty six years, I was blessed to have you in my life, so I have strong vivid memories of you, and I don't take that for granted.

when I was three, I would sit on your lap as you taught me to read, the love for books and words a gift from you, that carries on twenty one years after you were gone.

Nonna, your house came a sanctuary for us, a sanctuary of books, but more importantly a sanctuary of faith, because it was through you I learned about prayers.

I remembered the way your fingers ran over those rosaries when you prayed, but with you it was so much more than ritual, you truly taught me what it was to be a Woman of faith.

You were there to support me, and encourage me, after I gave my heart to Christ and left the Mormon Church I had grown up in, it didn't matter that our denominations were not the same, what mattered was that we loved Christ.

But it wasn't only me you helped, you were a Mother, a Grandmother, a foster Mother and so much more. One of those Foster girls, now women goes to the Church I now attend, one of the soecial needs kids you took in, when they needed a safe place to land.

Nonna, the cold weather is here now, and suddenly I find myself thinking about hot bowls of Pasta Fagioli, and sitting on the rocking chair by the wood burning stove, as I begged you to tell me a story from long ago, as I got older I would hear some of the deeper stories, the more painful ones.

As I grew older, you would tell me of your first love, your fiance a med student who died of a massive heart-attack at twenty one, it broke your heart, I knew but did it scare you too knowing that you had a heart condition as well?

You would later marry Nonno, and go on to have four children, but you would never forgot your first loved, and infact showed me the engagement ring he gave you before he died.

Nonna, you were loved, and you spread that around, the kindness you offered the world was a beautiful gift. And even today the loss is heavy, but the joy you gave us, the laughter was a gift.

Remember that time (A) and I went shopping with you, we went down the pasta isle, and when you started laughing when a pasta brand translated to a-hole in English. We couldn't help but laugh with you.

I remember the day you danced around the living room, after finding out my first book would be published, saying "I knew you could do it." You believed on me even as I struggled to believe in myself, and in doing so you helped me to remain more confident.

Christmas Eve's with you were a gift, spaghetti, garlic bread, Caesar Salad and those tasty Anise biscottis. One of our favorite things to do is have a baking day at Nonna's making sure a few of the cookies came out inperfect so we could sample them. I miss that, but we are building new memories now, while clinging to some of the old traditions.

Nonna, a lot has changed since you faded away on November.07.2003, at 12:07 a.m but one thing stays the same you are loved as much as you were then, and thanks don't begin to cover the gratitude for the gifts you've given us.

Your Granddaughter

Michelle~