This is my parents on their wedding day in 1965....

This is my parents on their wedding day in 1965. Believe me when I tell you my mom hasn’t aged a day since. Every time I find myself struggling and thinking my life is just too damn difficult, I stop and think about all that she’s gone through.

She was born and raised in rural town of Teramo, Italy and when she was just 11 years old her family piled onto a big boat and crossed the Atlantic ocean with hundreds of other immigrants. She hardly knew a word of english yet she made friends, graduated from high school, and by 20 she had married my dad. 46 years, 4 children, and countless hardships and lost loved ones later, she’s still going strong and continuing to demonstrate what it means to be a good person. Her life has been a continuous series of hard decisions and selflessness and to this day I’m still learning lessons about how to know what’s right and what’s wrong and when it’s best to sacrifice yourself and your time for others and when it’s best to put yourself first.

Thank you mom. You’re the best and I love you.