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grazie, and I will say prego.
“Very good. Molto bene.”
Duomo?” I asked. “The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The
“Pitti Palace
Ponte Vecchio.
“Mi dispiace. I apologize.”
“As for the business of Maurizio Wines, which includes the winery and all its inventory, buildings, and equipment, nine hundred hectares of land in Tuscany, and all its cash holdings—
this has been bequeathed to Fiona Bell.”
“I once read that people who are going through cancer treatment sometimes feel like the disease was a gift, no matter the outcome, whether they beat
it or not, because they feel like their spirits are awakened.”
Socrates believed that true knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.
“Why do we always wait for traditional special occasions to enjoy good things? Maybe we just need to create our own special occasions.”
But isn’t that what life is about? Trying new things? Finding out what you love doing? Then taking a deep dive into it?”
“I’ve often thought that a marriage is like
a covered wagon, full of the stuff of life. The man and the woman are the two workhorses who pull it. Eventually, it gets heavy. There are children in the wagon, a home that needs to be maintained, feelings that need to be protected and nurtured when life throws curveballs. It works when both partners pull together, but the journey can’t continue for long if one partner unbuckles the straps and decides to ride in the wagon, because it’s easier, and because he knows his partner will keep pulling no matter what.
when both partners are capable, husband and wife should be a team, pulling together, or at least taking equal turns.”
“Just love your children and try to be happy. Be grateful for the time you did have with your father. Wherever he is now, I’m sure he’s seeing what’s in your heart today.”
“I think all you can do is accept the past for what it was and be thankful for where you are today.
“And though it’s important to look forward, not back,” Fiona added, “I also think it’s important to reflect on past mistakes and learn from them. It helps you move forward in the right direction.”
feeling my anger rise up again and fly into the open. It had found a path through the dense forest of my love and compassion.
I didn’t want to feel anger in my thoughts for the rest of my life.
Life is rough for everyone, and it’s complicated. It’s full of hairpin turns we don’t see coming.
What good could come from grappling forever with “could
have beens”? Every life was full of “could have beens.” The best we could do was make the most of what was and what had been.
And though I tried to let go of certain things and live without regret,
I was beginning to accept that regret would always be a part of my life. I was only human, after all, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t escape it. What I decided was that I would not let it consume or define me. For the most part, I was at peace with how my life had unfolded, and I would embrace my regret—and my ability to work at forgiveness—as evidence of my humanity. I would wake up each morning and count my blessings.
