Our Mother & Nonna was quite simply the definition of Matriarch. She, at one time or another has had a hand in raising all of us, grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews included. She did so, for a large part of it, without her husband, which although weighed on her, truly showed the her strength and nurturing skills of a mother. We grew up with her being the center of our many gatherings, we recall being together and without be told, your first natural action would be to go and hug and kiss her, to feel her warmth. It was a warmth that resonated out of love. She loved many things, her family, her husband, her children, her grand children, great grand children, her gardens, her tv stories, and her cats (let us not forget her well fed and well groomed cats). She was magnetic, with a solar smile that could light up any room. It was always on full display when her family was around her. You could always tell how much she loved having us around because no matter whether or not she understood what the 30-40 voices around her were saying, she would listen, look at you and SMILE, you just knew she was happy to have everyone around; And it is that feeling of happiness in Love which makes us truly sad today. It is a feeling which we all try and replicate with our own families, as aspiration of how we will want to be as we grow old. She was an island in turbulent waters, sitting with her in troubled times would calm you, relax you. She would have to explain everything as it was her way of making you think a problem through. As, we reflect on her 95 years on this planet, she saw wars and pain, bad times and strife, she lived 3 decades without nonno, and saw her son in law tragically taken away from his family, she lived through the death of her only son. It is her way of showing love after all of this that makes the solutions to our problems seem attainable. I had the joy of falling asleep in the room next to her for nearly twenty years, and as I look back now, I can tell you there was nothing more comforting than hearing her talk and pray the pictures of her loved ones. It taught me that love is more than physical, it is spiritual, it is something that the mother in her made us all feel. We all remember my dad fondly, and know that he would of insisted 1 thing as we gather today. He would wish that I express his gratitude and appreciation to his sisters for showing the love and care for nonna, something that he was not able to. He would feel so sorry for the anguish that Zia and zia felt over the last 8 months, but would also be SO proud of the way they honored their mother. Nonna, thank you for words, your thoughts, and your love. Thank you for your life, we are all better people because we have lived in the glow of your love.