28 June 2012

Sorting Through Life's Trash

Since I last posted here in February 2010 a lot of life moments have come and gone. At the time of my last post I was leaving for Italy to visit my Aunt and Uncle in Rome, Italy with my husband. Little did I know that that visit with my Aunt would be the last time she would be in her "home" of 30+ years.

The following July she entered the hospital for an emergency surgical procedure and wound up staying in the hospital for a couple of months. She was then released in a non-ambulatory condition to an assisted living facility in the outskirts of Rome proper.

Today, she still resides in Villa Relais-Casa di Riposa that is located among the olive trees and fields some 20 miles from Rome center. She is ambulatory but, she is not able to live on her own.  And, she kind of refuses to talk...that is another story entirely. She turned 89 on May 6th.

I have been to visit her 4 times since February 2010, my last visit was this past February. And, in April/May of 2011 I closed her home out for good. I spent three long and emotional weeks in her condo/apartment she had lived in for 30 years sorting through her life's belongings  and stumbling upon bits and pieces of me as a child.

That brings me to today. My Uncle is currently working on moving her to the United States actually, to here, in my hometown in Virginia. While I don't know what this change will bring, it will be life altering for both her and myself. The positive thing, she is traveling light-the clothes on her back and what I had packed into bins from the closing of her condo in Rome.

As for everything else...I am doing well.

6 comments:

Merisi said...

I wish you lots of strength, and may there not be only hard times, but also be beautiful moments in store for you all!
Hugs,
Merisi

Tanya Breese said...

what a trying time for you and your family. it is nice to see you blogging again....hope her transition goes smoothly.

CountryDew said...

I am glad to see you back online! What a lot of things going on for you. I wish you well as you and your family make this transition.

Unknown said...

Thanks for stopping by. I love that Tablecloth book. I shared it with my mother who also greatly enjoyed it.

Italy -- what a wonderful place to visit!

Norma said...

Just reading all that you have been through. Change is hard to go through when you're happy with the way things are. I hope the transition for you and your aunt has brought joys with it. Take care.

DeniseinVA said...

Oh wow, I just visited an old blog post I did and found a comment from you. Wondering if you had posted again I saw this from way back in the summer. I am so sorry to hear about your Aunt and hope her move to the States went well. Thinking of you all and hoping that life has treated you well since this last post. Do hope to be hearing from you soon.