6 years ago today, God chose to call my mother, (AKA: Nonna, Cumare, Amerigan, Ma,) home to him. She was a wonderful woman, full of spunk, love and life. She was my hero, only I didn’t know it until I was much older.

This woman loved her family with all her heart and soul. Her crooked fingers would cook elaborate meals for her children, her children’s friends, her grandchildren, and their friends, and was blessed to also do so for a couple of her great grandchildren. She was proud of her family, and would brag to anyone who would listen. Her son the Dentist, her other son the Dr. and Professor, and me the Social Worker who sings at church. (Don’t think she wasn’t critical though, if it seemed I made mistakes playing at mass, she would say in her broken English, “what happened did you forget to practice?). She loved to make people laugh, and had an infectious smile and laugh. So many funny stories that are often shared among family members. She would do just about anything to make her grandchildren laugh. Since her passing, my grandson Nikolas was born. My mom would have eaten him up with so much love.