Our mother was a strong force in life. She was not a formally educated woman, but she was more intelligent and learned by most by her excessive reading. She read each book that I ever brought home from school. She saturated her hunger for knowledge with books.
She left her beloved country and family to marry into the Italian culture which she had no understanding of but she embraced. It was into that culture at Villa which she continued to love as they her.
She used to talk about her beloved Switzerland. She missed her mountains and at Villa we used to go to the library and she would see her beloved country in real time, which today’s technology made possible. My brother in law too would show her Switzerland and have her listen to the church bells she loved on his cell phone. She marveled as she grew into today’s technology.
Our mother was a force with strong ethical beliefs. She taught us how to love. She taught us how to appreciate the wild life. She adopted a squirrel who would come to her each day. We have carried on in this tradition. She taught us that prejudice is wrong. She taught us the importance of freedom. She taught us the importance of justice. She taught us that we can be and do anything we want in this life and that opportunities exist.
But most of all she taught about romantic love and love of family. She adored her grandchildren and always talked about them.
She asked me once, “Do you think anyone will come to my funeral?” I made a joke and laughed. She cherished every visit she received, every gift she received and every phone call she received.
She has suffered these past years with the loss of our father who loved her passionately and was always at her side. She suffered at the loss of her two brothers who always talked to her on the phone and sent her chocolate and pictures of Switzerland. They remained true to her to the very end of their own lives through cancer.
Our mother was a strong force for us in life but she will continue to remain strong to us in death.
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