Tribute to Nonno

I’ve always said that Italy can heal anything. Whether it’s stress, sadness, confusion, heartbreak, or exhaustion – Italy can make anything better. This time around, I’ll go to seek out those healing powers I always promoted. I’ve been looking forward to this trip to Italy for over a year. A dear friend’s marriage gave me the reason – not that I’m ever in need of an extra one – to make the trek back to my beloved Italy. However, the passing of my grandfather has made this trip more necessary than it already was.

This trip now becomes a tribute to my grandfather and a celebration of the incredible life of the patriarch of an exceptional family. My grandpa was an amazing man – he built and supported an amazing beautiful crazy Italian family, worked so hard and earned so much respect in his career, was a patriotic WWII veteran, he was a real educator, and he supported causes he believed in.

I will always fondly remember the time I attended a ceremony at The College at Brockport where my grandpa was honored for many of his accomplishments. So many people from different parts of his life showed up, so many people he hadn’t seen for long stretches of time. I saw the love and friendship in those relationships, and I listened to the memories he shared with me about each of them after catching up. He was a people person – his people meant so much to him. That’s just one of many special memories I’ll always carry.

Italy wouldn’t hold quite as much meaning for me as it does if it weren’t for my family’s Italian origins. Family is so important in Italian culture, and the more I’ve spent digging into the Italian culture I also happened to learn more about my family’s history. The opportunities I have had to meet some of my relatives in Italy have been some of the most special memories that I have. I know how much family and our family’s history meant to my grandpa, and I’ll look forward to carrying that value forever.

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So this next trip to Italy, this one’s for you, Nonno. Thank you for your support, encouragement, and everything you taught me over the years. Your legacy will live forever among our family, as we all love and respected you so much. Thank you for the beautiful family you built and for instilling such cherished values. And, not that you had too much control over it, but thank you for being Italian and for passing those origins down. I’ll hold them dear to my heart forever, as I will you. Whether it will be from the Duomo in Milano or from the little alpine village in the Dolomites, I’ll say a few prayers for you on this special trip. Grazie mille nonno. Ti voglio molto bene.