Dear Gianni and Viviana,
After reading my little stories, I’m sure you have a pretty good feel for your mom’s point of view, humor and daily going’s-on. Every once in a while I include an anecdote about your father but in general he isn’t discussed too much on this blog. In that absence, I want let you know how amazing your dad (or Babbo) really is.
Yesterday was a special day!
Ten years ago Babbo couldn’t even speak English. Can you believe that? When he first started working on the American Navy Base he only spoke Italian. He was 29 years old and already starting his second career. From age 18-28 he played professional soccer in Southern Italy. He was a local star with high hopes; he was on the edge of something big. He played with guys who went on to “Serie A” teams in Italy. In his late 20’s though, he hurt his knee. He had to undergo surgery to fix his torn ACL and never played the same after that, and knew he was getting older. He wasn’t going to be able to play soccer forever. That’s when his uncle Franco helped him get a job “with the Americans” on the base. He started working the night shift at the commissary on base. He stocked shelves and did anything they needed him to. It was a big change from just months earlier, when people were asking for his autograph. But you know what? Your dad stuck with it. He worked hard.
Not long after he started he was assigned to the day shift, and then promoted to a new role and eventually he was in charge of the entire store inventory demand chain. Oh yes, and he also taught himself English. He walked around the store with an Italian/English dictionary so he could communicate with the customers and Sailors on base. Your dad never gave up. It was frustrating, but he kept at it.
Just think, if he never would’ve taken that job or if he never would have learned English, he and I would have never met! It’s crazy how life works out, isn’t it?
I was stationed in Naples right after New Year’s in 2006. He and I met within weeks of my arrival. We married in August of 2007 and he stayed at the job a couple more years–while also attending college full-time. He worked during the day, went to class at night, and then studied while I was sleeping. He was 36 when he started going to an American college on the military base. He laughed because most of his classmates were Sailors in their early 20’s. But again, that didn’t stop him. He studied hard and got an A in every single class. He read every word of every assignment he was given. He looked up the words he didn’t know. He spent hours writing his papers. He had never written in English, which is much different from the Italian and Latin he studied in school. He didn’t know how to type—but taught himself that too. Your dad understood that the future isn’t always about doing what is easy at the moment. He kept his eye on his long-term goal: Get a degree, and land a good job in America.
Gianni, when you were born in September of 2008, your dad and I decided that it would be best for us (and YOU) if he quit his full-time job at the commissary. He was still attending school full-time, doing ALL of his homework, and now taking care of you too. I had to go back to work for the US Army, at the NATO base when you were 6 weeks old and we knew we would be moving to the United States in the summer. Your dad continued to study and took care of you everyday—at your Nonni’s (grandparents’) house in Italy—while I finished out my time in the Army. Your dad was disappointed that he wasn’t “working” full-time but we knew that in the long run it would be worth it.
By the time we moved to America in May 2009, your dad had completed his first two years of college with a 4.00 GPA in a record 17 months. Once we settled in Nashville he started classes again and you Gianni, started day care soon after your first birthday. Dad kept studying every day, eight hours a day. He sat at the desk in our office for such long hours that the leather chair is worn out now! With one year of school left, we found out that Viviana was going to join our family. The first thing dad said when he found out you were coming, was “Whatever happens, I HAVE to finish my degree.”
That he did—with a 3.95 GPA. (He blames his only “B” on bombing a test the day we found out Vivi was on her way.)
Vivi, you arrived on July 27th, 2011. Dad had 10 more weeks left to finish his Bachelor of Science degree. I was lucky enough to work for a wonderful company that allowed me to take off 16 weeks after you were born. It was great. I took care of you, Gianni went to school and dad studied. Babbo turned 40 and finished his degree in October, the month before I went back to work. We were thrilled! Your dad proved that it’s never too late to start, or finish something. He also proved that hard work will get you where you want to be.
I went back to work and your dad started looking for jobs. We decided that you Vivi, would stay home with Babbo until he started his American career. Three months after daddy started looking for a job, he got a great offer and accepted it!
That was yesterday. It was a week after my 30th birthday. And it was awesome. (That word “awesome” is probably going to sound weird in 20 or 30 years when you read this, but whatevs… what about that one?)
Your dad and I both want you to know that there are no excuses in life. You can start from the bottom and work your way up. There is never shame in working hard—in any vocation. You can go back to school when you are 37. You don’t always have to be the first to reach your dreams—but you should ALWAYS hold on to them. No matter your age, gender, background or education, if you put your mind to something and want it bad enough, you can have it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise—dad never did.
Surprisingly enough, Gaetano and I both have Santa’s phone number programmed into our phones…in case we need to remind Gianni to behave.
