i am sending out a special thanks to Nani today, not only for all the amazing things she has done for our family and anyone else who entered her life while she was alive, but also for the amazing things she has done in the last few days.
it all started on Monday and maybe somehow we should have taken it as a sign then that something was going to happen, but who knew...sometimes the small things don't stand out quite as much until something bigger has happened. but anyway, frank was on the phone out on the deck, talking with a friend from church on Monday afternoon. he has spent much of his life dealing with his struggles in a less than desirable way and more recently decided to head down a fresher, healthier avenue, an avenue that has brought him closer to God. so he was talking with this friend from church, setting a plan to get together the next day for a nice walk in the park to chat. well while he was on the phone a humming bird was buzzing around in our apple trees! for anyone who does not know, humming birds were a really big thing with Nani, she had all sorts of humming bird nic-naks, etc...so at that moment frank just thought it was pretty cool that something so rare decided to check out our apple trees while he was standing right there! we actually have never seen that happen before! then one day later, just hours after having an amazing life talk with his friend from church, we get the news that Nani has moved on to a greater place, a place we can only hope to end up when our time on earth is through.
driving home from her wake today, i looked at frank and said "do you think maybe that humming bird was Big Papa, checking on you to make sure you were OK before he took Nani home with him?" it gave us a chill. it seems so possible because that is just the kind of people they were. there is a reason that Nani survived as a widow for so many years, she had a lot more people she needed to "take care of" before she could settle down and just be a wife for once!
with that being said, she looked gorgeous today...it may seem like a strange thing to say about someone laying in a coffin, but she truly did...she looked youthful and radiant, not what you would expect a 93 year old woman to look like. she looked peaceful and happy and you could just feel the light and refreshing air about the room. it was a beautiful day here today, just the kind of day you would expect to have when celebrating the life of such an amazing woman. as hard as it may have been to let her go (we have all been holding on for a long time now) there is certainly something peaceful about saying a final goodbye to someone here on earth, with the confidence of knowing you will see them again someday. there is no doubt in my heart that Nani is hand in hand with Big Papa in heaven, looking down at all of us with a warm smile, sending her love through sunshine, blooming flowers (or Christmas cactus for that matter), humming birds and even the rain. rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, not something you want surrounding you on the day of a funeral, but in Nani's case, it will be a different kind of rain. a cleansing rain. a refreshing rain. a rain that reminds you, tomorrow is another day, a day worth living, with a clear mind, a peaceful heart and a refreshed soul.
in so many ways, i wish i would have put forth more effort into strengthening the relationship i had with Nani. but i know she loved me, i could see it in her face every time she held my boys, i knew she was proud of what frank and i have accomplished together. and i knew she understood. time is of the essence and make the most of what you have. nothing is more precious than our children and they wont fit on our laps forever!
so tonight, i thank you Nani, for being the tree trunk of our family for all of these years. you have been the base of such a large family tree and through you we have all remained so close over the years, growing even closer more recently. it was times like your surprise birthday parties (for your 90th, 91st and you 92nd and even your 93rd!) that we would all get together and realize how much fun we all had and my promise to you is to use the birthdays of your great great grandsons to continue those family gatherings. you will always be in our hearts, not a day will go by that we will not think of you, our children will know your stories better than the most famous nursery rhymes and they will sing dominic the donkey at every christmas eve dinner! they may not remember you the way that their dad and uncles do, but they will know your legacy and hopefully through their grandma, they will be able to relive the memories that frankie, dave and dom have in the country. God bless you Nani, the way that you have blessed us. we will love you forever and ever and we'll see you again someday, so until then, enjoy your time with Big Papa.
love, shannon, frankie, tuscan, matteo and vincenzo
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