Bella Bellagio

OK, I am letting the cat out of the bag. The past two days we have been in Bellagio, an idyllic old European town on Lake Como, on the Italian side. The only problem is it is raining. And apparently I control the weather, so it hasnt been as wunderbar as it could be.

In its quaint beauty it has highlighted the difficulties and really the frailties of my mother. Frail is not a word I would have ever chosen to describe her. This is the pack mule of a strong woman who would trudge from our house in Danville to Giant, the grocery store in town and back again and think nothing of it. All my Danville friends know her well, and often would remark that they saw her walking up Kaseville Road carrying her groceries. After all, in NYC thats what you do. Shop for what you need for today (and its Biblical! Think only about today, dont worry about tomorrow, doesnt God take care of the sparrows) and nothing more.

Bellagio, in its beauty is difficult to navigate. The streets are cobblestone and narrow, shared by pedestrian and fiat alike, and you had better get out of the way, or you might find your way to an Italian community hospital, not on my top ten of must sees. And the town is perched on a hill, so the stairs are also cobblestone. It only complicates the mobility issue for my mom, not to mention the fact that most places are walk ups and we are on the third floor...so it hasnt been enjoyable for my mom at all. She has sequestered herself inside the flat, which is dreary, especially in the rain. So she is unhappy.

So we put on our sunglasses in the rain and try to shine delight.

Even in dreariness there is joy.

Peace.