@rossella_rago: My mother once taught me a little Italian hymn when I was a girl. And towards the end, I would whisper it back to Nonna Romana: “Do you love me? A lot or a little? A lot? And where do you keep the love? In your heart? And what sound does the heart make?” “Tik Tok.” Dementia slowly turned Nonna into a little girl again our little girl. My mother, Angela, who cared for her until her very last days on earth, made an astute observation: “I think she’s finally living the childhood she never had.” As the oldest of seven, Nonna left school in the third grade to care for her siblings. There wasn’t much time to play. Not much money for the simple joys of childhood. And yet, in her old age, she delighted in the little things: Espresso crowned with mile-high whipped cream. Frilly clothes my mother would buy to make her smile. The laughter of children passing on the street as we wheeled her through Brooklyn. It was devastating for us to witness at times but there was beauty in it, too. Her later years were, in their own way, a gift. A second childhood. A life that came full circle. We miss her every single day. Every version of her 🤍🙏🏻

Bottega Della Nonna

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Region: US

Thursday 30 October 2025 17:44:55 GMT