The Road Twice Traveled

4 Generations Spending Quality Time Togeher in Italy
Dec 2009 ~ Jan 2010!

Well, I think it is a wrap on the Italy trip, finally! It was quite an undertaking to blog about it all and actually turned into about 30 posts...a small book. I have learned that the trip is twice traveled when I take the time to savor and write about it. My impressions, the joy of being with Jim, his mom and the kids, learning of the Italians ways... all changed our lives.

One thing is how amazing it is that you can be apart from your family for nearly two years and pick up exactly where you left off. I love the comfort of family, the warmth, the unconditional love. It is a safe haven in an uncertain world..and like a constant warm fuzzy blanket of happiness. Our kids are not kids anymore really, even though they will always be our kids. They are such loving and caring and productive adults and that brings such joy. To watch them parenting and raising a new generation is so fantastic. And the most joyous part is we are in perfect harmony with their methods and feel so peaceful about our littlest ones and their bright futures.

Each generation seems to do it a little bit better. My grandmother use to say that is the measure of a man's success... if the next generation improves on things. In that regard, we feel successful. We learn so much from all of them.

Laura and Robert went above and beyond as they hosted us for the month. They thought of everything to make our stay and our travels the very best. There are no words to adequately express our love and thanks to them for providing everything we could possibly want for our four generation vacation.

We were happy Jim's mom was able to join us and was able to visit her birth place for the first time in her 83 years. She left at 5 months old so essentially never knew her home town until now. She had a wonderful time....we all did. We are grateful she had some quality time with her grandkids and her great grandsons and found the home where her father was born.

Gloria's Dad, Jim's Grandfather,
Laura's Great Grandfather and
Spencer and Ross' Great Great Grandfather
and the one Ross Andrew is named after...

Antonio Andrew Ferrera da Tasso, Italia

As I have taken the time to write about our experiences I have learned something that is and will continue to change how I live. We can all go on a wonderful trip, take pictures and remember it with fondness. Too soon the picture get tucked away and the details soon vanish from our recollection. I have learned that life needs to be pondered more and savored a lot more. The rushing through and on to the next life event is not as healthy as savoring and feeling the contentment of what we have done.

The savoring is something the Italians do well. It goes against the grain of the American life style but I am putting it squarely into my own life. It lowers the blood pressure and helps us to be satisfied with our blessings from God. I do not mean that we should rest on our laurels and never try to do more and improve ourselves...but for me the breakneck pace is slowing down, on purpose.

When we write our experiences down they can be revisited and we can continue to enjoy and learn from the moments we cherish. I am having 3 books made from blog posts. I see myself when I am really old and gray, enjoying an evening by the fire reading of this amazing and beautiful trip with our family. I know Jim is already enjoying it very much too.

I want Laura and Robert to have one because they are living this amazing fairy tale for 3 years and have little time to record it all. I am hoping this book will be a small reminder of the time they lived in Italy someday. And I want a book for Jim's mom who doesn't do computers.

My favorite fantasy about it is seeing our grandboys revisit the places we have been together when they grow up. As adults, Italy will seem a lot more interesting to them and I hope they tuck the little book into their suitcase and use it to remember the fun times we have shared.

And if they don't learn a lot from their old Gramma, I hope they will learn to love each other best and to o enjoy their lives as brothers. We want them to appreciate their lives, their amazing parents and all their blessings and to thank God for them. And I pray they will learn early in life to savor the precious moments and record them. When the mind goes...the books will remain~ to jog the memory of wonderful days gone by.

Here's to preserving the moments in our
lives that take our breath away!