Cuore Nobile

A few days ago, I took a drive to the outlets with my mom and nephew Andrew. We went for a quick trip to get some last minute Christmas gifts. On the way there, my mom and I started talking about Sicily and I’m not sure how, but we landed on the topic of her mom.

I was only 7 when my Nonna Lina died, so unfortunately my memories are scattered and fragmented. I do remember feeling comfortable and safe when she was around. Like somehow I could do no wrong or get whatever I wanted and my mom no longer held the authority in the room. Guess that's the best part of being a grandparent. Your only job is to love and spoil your grandkids.

As my mom started talking I kept asking questions. I wanted to know more about Nonna and also wanted to give my mom the chance to talk and share some special memories of her mom. I realized that most of my conversations with my mom are self-centered and focus on our own family and what we are dealing with now. It sounds silly, but sometimes I forget that my mom had her own childhood filled with aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and of course her parents.

As we drove, my mom kept sharing and I kept asking questions. Some stories I heard before, but I listened quietly anyway. My grandmother was was in her 40's when she had my mom. It was an unexpected pregnancy that ended with my mom being born on Christmas day! A true gift to her parents and 6 older siblings. Her name, Natalina comes from the Italian word for Christmas..."Natale." As my mom got older, my grandmother would tell her she had a "Cuore Nobile" which means a Noble Heart. And anyone who knows my mom, knows how true that is. I can't think of a more perfect description of my mother. My grandmother saw in her daughter what we all see today. She saw my mother for who she truly is and spoke life over her tiny growing heart.

The more my mom shared, the more she got choked up. After a few minutes, she shed a few quiet tears and then we slowly moved on to another topic.

Seeing my mom get so emotional over her mother tugs at my heart in a very unique way. It’s like she opens up this locked-up part of her heart and let’s me look inside. I peek in with seeking eyes and a hushed heart as she reveals her most precious childhood memories and I try to soak up every single word.

It's the simple, heartfelt conversations like that, that stay with me long after our words end. It shows me than no matter how many years your mom is gone, the hole that is left by her absence will never be filled.

And so today, my moms birthday...I want to honor of all who she is. I want to always remember that she is not just my mother, she is a sister, wife, aunt, grandmother, friend and most importantly she is Corradina and Francesco's daughter. A daughter with a Noble Heart who grew up to be the heart of her own family.

Happy Birthday Mom! Thank you for sharing your stories. I promise to keep asking questions, to keep listening and just like you do with your mom...I will hold on to and share your words long after they are gone. I love you.

My mom is the little one in the white shirt sitting on her mother's lap. Her father is to the right, and her sister and sister in law are behind them.

Written December 25th 2019