I found visiting Italy emotionally difficult, more than I imagined. Lingering memories of both mom & dad hovered as ghostly veils in those places we had travelled together. Luke's enthusiam for travel & knowledge of history fanned the flames of wonder & amazement at sights where I wish he could have been with us.
Everyone asked when we would return. It's then I bring to mind what my Italian friend said when she was correcting a letter I'd written to one of the family in my struggling Italian: Paula, you want to use arrividerci instead of addio. After all, you want to leave the door open to the future ... you want to say so long for now, see you again sometime, instead of i'm never coming back again. Well, then, it has to be arrividerci, a presto! dear family!
